
German investor morale falls more than expected in August, ZEW finds
The economic sentiment index fell to 34.7 points from 52.7 points in July, while analysts polled by Reuters had pointed to a reading of 39.8.
"Financial market experts are disappointed by the announced EU-US trade deal," said ZEW President Achim Wambach.
The US struck a framework trade agreement with the European Union last month, imposing a 15% import tariff on most EU goods.
The decline is also due to the poor performance of the German economy in the second quarter, Wambach said.
Germany's economy contracted by 0.1% in the second quarter, as demand from the US slowed following months of strong purchases in anticipation of US tariffs.
The survey's assessment of the current economic situation also deteriorated significantly, with the indicator falling to -68.6 from -59.5 points the previous month.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
State's population grew by almost 90,000 last year, EU figures show
The State's population grew by almost 90,000 last year, according to figures produced by the European Union . The population of the Republic stood at 5,439,898 at the end of last year compared with 5,351,681 at the end of 2023. In the 27 EU countries, Ireland's annual population growth, at 1.64 per cent, is surpassed only by Malta and is about seven times higher than the EU average of 0.23 per cent. Eurostat figures show Ireland reached a population of five million in 2020. With current projections, it is likely to reach 5.5 million by the end of this year. READ MORE These figures are different from the estimates produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). The Irish office's estimates run from April to April, and the figures for April 2024 to April 2025 have yet to be produced. All indicators suggest the population is growing rapidly since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, buoyed by a strong labour market with a record 2.8 million people at work. [ 'We can't have nice things in Ireland because no one follows the rules': Emigrants on returning home Opens in new window ] The population increase is largely driven by inward migration. The last figures from the CSO show net migration (immigration minus emigration) to Ireland between April 2023 and April 2024 was 79,300. The natural increase in the population (births minus deaths) was 19,400, making for a total increase in the population of 98,700. Recently, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe was asked about a column in The Irish Times by David McWilliams suggesting inward migration would have to decrease to allow the housing supply to catch up with population growth. [ David McWilliams: This is what we need to do in Ireland if we want stable, affordable house prices Opens in new window ] [ David McWilliams: Ireland needs immigrants. But our economy can't accommodate an infinite number Opens in new window ] Mr Donohoe responded by saying the expanded labour force is generating tax revenues that can be invested into infrastructure. He said investment in infrastructure will help the State cope with inward migration. 'A growing population with growing investment is how we will support our economy in the years ahead,' he said. A Department of Finance report entitled Economic Insights published this month says labour shortages in the Irish economy cannot be tackled without inward migration. It states that unemployment is at a historic low. While 780,000 people between the ages of 15 and 64 (working age) are not in employment, the potential for many of them to take up work is 'limited', the Department of Finance has concluded. Many have not worked for years because of health issues, while others do not have the necessary skills to fulfil labour shortages in the economy. Unemployment in the construction sector declined to a record low last year, the report added, 'which underscores the importance of either attracting skilled labour from abroad or increasing the pipeline of apprentices or graduates in the sector'. The report predicted labour force growth is unlikely to be sustained because of an increasingly ageing population and an expected slowdown in net migration. 'As a result, it will become increasingly important to maximise the labour force contributions of our existing working age population as well as productivity improvements.' It concluded: 'It underscores the role that both inward migration and productivity improvements will need to play to support employment and economic growth going forward.'


Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
EU-US trade statement stalled over wording on tech rules
The EU's efforts to safeguard its regulations on digital and Big Tech companies are reportedly holding up a joint statement on trade, following an agreement struck last month in Scotland. The two sides are at odds over wording around the rules that target the behaviour of multinational tech companies as the US wants to keep open the possibility of concessions on the bloc's landmark Digital Services Act, the Financial Times has reported. The EU Commission has previously said that this would be unacceptable. The Digital Services Act regulates online intermediaries and platforms, such as marketplaces, social networks, content-sharing platforms, app stores, and online travel and accommodation platforms. The aim of the act is to prevent illegal or harmful activities online and the spread of disinformation. Companies such as X and TikTok are facing EU Commission proceedings for suspected breaches of the act. US president Donald Trump is not planning to sign an executive order lowering tariffs on EU car imports until the joint statement is finalised, the newspaper said, citing an unnamed US official. Lowering levies The US and EU agreed to a deal in July that sees the bloc face 15% tariffs on most of its exports, though the US is still yet to lower the levies on cars to 15%. However, EU officials are confident they will conclude the agreement by the end of next week to unlock both the joint statement and executive actions in the US. The two sides are working through the details of various issues, including capping tariffs on cars and future sectoral levies at 15%, finalising lists of strategic products that will be granted lower duties and a framework for discussions on steel and aluminium, according to people familiar with the matter. A spokesperson for the European Commission didn't immediately respond to a request for comment outside of normal business hours. The regulation of Big Tech companies is of particular concern for Ireland as many of them have a large presence here such as Google, Meta, and Microsoft, among others. Bloomberg


Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
EU looks to Sweden as model for investment
The European Union wants to unleash trillions of euro in household savings by encouraging people to invest in capital markets, and it sees Sweden as the template. Europe will soon detail its plan to mobilise citizen funds sitting in bank deposits as part of its savings and investment union. By making it easier for people to invest, it wants to lift household wealth and boost firms' access to funding. According to the Central Bank of Ireland, Irish people have a combined €165.8bn in household deposit savings as of the end of June. Wider adoption of Swedish-style bank accounts would enable people to easily invest savings in stocks. Poland, earlier this month, proposed an investment savings account modelled on Sweden's InvesteringsSparKonto, or ISK system, to create an 'equity culture' attracting the equivalent of €23bn in its first three years. Sweden's retail-trading base is 'among the best in the world' due to the ease with which people have been able to invest in listed companies, Avanza Bank Holding AB savings economist Philip Scholtzé said. The Nordic nation is regarded as a 'best practice' model, said a spokesperson for the financial services department at the European Commission. The bloc aims to provide citizens with 'a wider range of tools and knowledge to invest their savings in ways that can directly benefit their personal economy, while simultaneously turbo-charging the investment landscape in the EU'. National sport Equity investing is akin to a national sport in Sweden. Households invest more than half of their savings in stocks, more than twice the average in the eurozone, according to a report by the European Savings Institute this year. Anyone with a bank account can trade, while the ISK account is not subject to capital gains tax. Securities can be easily bought and sold directly from mobile banking applications. 'Swedes have good reason to be thankful for the ISK account,' said Mohammed Salih, a 32-year-old communications manager who lives in Listerby, Sweden. He has invested with the system for 10 years. I have always saved money and tried to build an economically stable future, but I didn't know how to make the money grow He started an Instagram account to document his journey toward assets equivalent to €90,000. He says he achieved it a few years ago, but still posts stock market tips that attract interest. 'The youngest person who has written to me was 13 years old. His parents had helped him set up an ISK account,' Mr Salih said. The ISK simplified the tax structure around capital investments, removing bureaucratic barriers that had discouraged participation. 'It's just a much simpler way to buy stocks,' Frida Bratt, the savings economist at Nordnet Bank AB, said. 'This has been especially important for young people.' Mutual funds A quarter of Swedes own shares in publicly listed companies, with stakes totalling around €48,000 on average, according to Euroclear Sweden. The Swedish Investment Fund Association shows that 70% of Swedes invest in mutual funds. It remains to be seen what effect the introduction of an EU-wide savings and investment account could have on the wider European market. According to Jonas Strom, the chief executive of the Nordic investment bank ABG Sundal Collier Holding ASA, it is 'definitely possible' to export the Swedish success with the ISK accounts to a wider European audience. The European Commission would only offer a blueprint of how an EU-wide savings and investment account could be constructed, leaving member states to implement it. The success of the proposal depends on the 'political will' of the member states. Bloomberg