Euro

France is still an interesting country for investors, despite its economic sluggishness and internal political problems, says Robeco Chief Economist Léon Cornelissen.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is embarking on quantitative easing (QE) at a time when tailwinds are already beginning to build behind the euro area economy. Threadneedle Investments’ fixed income fund manager Martin Harvey asks if we can dare to dream of a brighter 2015.

According to Azad Zangana, Europe Economist at Schroders, the ECB’s QE programme will benefit the Eurozone economy by reducing the risk of deflation; however, it is not a panacea for the monetary union’s ills. Deep structural reforms are required in order to raise Europe’s potential trend growth. Without structural reforms, the ECB may be forced to add additional stimulus in the future as growth falters again.

According to William Davies, Head of global equities at Threadneedle Investments if Greece leaves the euro, contagion will be feared, the volatility of a currency under threat will resurface, and we revisit the throes of the euro crisis we endured a few years back. Not our central case but certainly a distinct possibility...

Headlines in Europe are again focused on weak economic growth but there remain many companies well placed to deliver. Analysis of Nick Sheridan, Fund manager Henderson Horizon Euroland.