FRANKFURT AM MAIN (AFP) – Confidence among German investors slumped to its lowest level since September 2012 yesterday in a closely-watched monthly barometer, as financial players were spooked by a transatlantic war of words over trade.
The ZEW institute’s regular poll of economic expectations for the coming months lost 7.9 points for a reading of -16.1.
ZEW President Achim Wambach pointed to “the latest escalation in the trade conflict with the United States” as a major reason for the gloomier prognosis.
The survey was conducted between May 28 and June 11, a period including last weekend’s disastrous G7 summit that saw US President Donald Trump tear up a joint communique with other leaders of advanced Western economies, citing trade differences.
Financial players’ judgements of both the current economic situation and the outlook for the coming months slipped, with both readings much worse for the 19-nation eurozone than for Germany alone.
