Euro-zone retail sales fall 0.2 percent in June

September 15th, 2009 NEW YORK - US stocks climbed to new highs for 2009 as retail sales gained by the most in three years and Federal Reserve Chairman Bernanke said the country's recession was "very likely" at an end. Bernanke said there was general agreement among economists that the US would return to growth in the third quarter of this year and continue to pick up in 2010.

August 31st, 2009 Euro zone prices fall again in AugustBRUSSELS — Euro zone prices fell more slowly in August from a year ago, a sign that the worst of the economic downturn may be over, the EU statistics agency Eurostat said Monday. Inflation in the 16 countries that use the euro stayed negative for the third consecutive month in August as prices shrank 0.2 percent, far less than an 0.7 percent drop in July.

August 24th, 2009 Euro zone industrial orders rise in JuneLONDON — Industrial orders in the 16-nation euro zone rose 3.1 percent in June from the quarter before, official data showed Monday, suggesting the manufacturing sector could be emerging from recession. The European statistics agency Eurostat said new orders — a key gauge of industry's future growth — rose in both France and Germany, which emerged from recession in the second quarter, as well as Ireland, which has been among the hardest-hit by the global economic crisis.

August 14th, 2009 NEW YORK - US stocks rose Thursday led by the banking sector and sweeping aside reports of a decline in retail sales. The bank rally was spurred after the firm of a prominent hedge fund investor, John Paulson, bought shares in troubled Bank of America Corp and Regions Financial Corp.

August 13th, 2009 Euro area economy contracted only 0.1 pct in Q2LONDON — The recession in the 16 countries that use the euro eased substantially between April and June after unexpected growth in Germany and France, the euro zone's two largest economies, official figures showed Thursday. The European Union's statistics office Eurostat revealed that the euro zone's gross domestic product fell by only 0.1 percent in the second quarter from the previous three month period.

August 3rd, 2009 German retail sales down 1.6 pct in JuneBERLIN — German retail sales were down 1.6 percent on the year in June and dropped by a steeper 2.1 percent for the whole of the first half as the global crisis maintained its grip on Europe's biggest economy, an official estimate showed Monday. The Federal Statistical Office said that specialist food and drink retailers and department stores saw particularly steep falls in June, with sales declining by 5.6 percent and 7.3 percent respectively.

July 31st, 2009 Euro-zone prices fall for second monthBRUSSELS — The EU statistics agency says euro-zone consumer prices fell 0.6 percent in July from a year ago. Lower demand for energy and other goods has caused prices to plunge in the region, according to figures released Friday.

July 15th, 2009 Eurostar 1H sales down 7 percentLONDON — Cross-channel train operator Eurostar Group Ltd. on Wednesday said sales slumped 7 percent in the first half of the year as the recession hit business travel particularly hard.

July 15th, 2009 EU: plunging oil price behind June disinflationBRUSSELS — Plunging oil prices sent euro-zone inflation negative in June, the EU statistics agency Eurostat said Wednesday. It confirmed a June 30 estimate that the 16 nations that use the euro saw prices contract 0.1 percent in the year to June — the first month the region has experienced disinflation since the euro launched in 1999.

July 15th, 2009 NEW YORK - US stocks edged up Tuesday after Goldman Sachs posted surprising quarterly earnings and retail earnings rose by the most since January. Goldman Sachs overwhelmed Wall Street expectations, earning $2.7 billion in the second quarter of the year despite the ongoing economic crisis, its best performance since a record year in 2007.

July 3rd, 2009 Euro zone retail sales down 0.4 percent in MayLONDON — Retail sales fell in May in the 16 countries that use the euro, in a further sign that consumers aren't optimistic about their future in the midst of a deep and widespread recession. Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, says retail sales in the euro zone fell by 0.4 percent from the previous month.

June 30th, 2009 Euro-zone sees falling prices in JuneBRUSSELS — Euro-zone nations saw consumer prices fall 0.1 percent in the year to June, the first negative inflation rate in at least a decade, the EU statistics agency said Tuesday. Eurostat's preliminary estimate, to be confirmed and explained on July 15, was the first negative rate since the euro single currency was launched in 1999.

June 12th, 2009 Euro zone industrial output slumps in AprilLONDON — Industrial production in the 16 countries that use the euro slumped in April, official figures showed Friday, stoking fears that the euro zone remains in the grip of recession despite signs elsewhere that a recovery of sorts may be underway. The European Union's statistics office Eurostat said a 1.9 percent drop in April — the eighth consecutive monthly fall — pushed the annual rate of decline down to a record 21.6 percent.

May 13th, 2009 Euro zone industrial output shrinks 2 pct in MarchLONDON — The 16 countries that use the euro currency saw industrial output shrink by 2 percent in March from the previous month, pushing the annual rate of decline to a new record, the EU's statistics office said Wednesday. The drop was far bigger than expected.

May 6th, 2009 Euro-zone retail sales slide by record 4.2 pctBRUSSELS — Retail trade in the 16 nations that use the euro slid by a record 4.2 percent in March from a year ago, the EU statistics agency said Wednesday, as recession-hit shoppers cut back over worries on rising unemployment. The European Union said some 8.5 million jobs will disappear this year and next year as the economies of both the euro area and the 27-nation European Union shrink by 4 percent.