Euro zone economic sentiment inched higher in November against expectations of a more pronounced increase as more positive views among consumers and in retail and construction just outweighed downbeat manufacturing.
The European Commission said its economic sentiment indicator rose to 106.5 in October from a revised 106.4 in September, below market expectations of an increase to 107.0.
Separately, the business climate indicator also calculated by the Commission, dropped to 0.42 in November from October's 0.56, which had been its highest level since June 2011.
Selling price expectations among manufacturers rose for a third consecutive month to 4.8 from 3.5 in October and 0.0 in September.
Among consumers, inflation expectations over the next 12 months also increased to 6.3 in November after slipping in October to 4.3. It was still well below the long-term average since 1990 of 19.
Meanwhile, German inflation likely remained unchanged in November, regional data has suggested, hinting price pressures are still weak despite an economic upturn and ultra-loose European Central Bank monetary policy.
Preliminary data from several German states showed that annual inflation was broadly unchanged in most regions and even slowed slightly in the most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the smaller state of Saxony.
DZ Bank Economist Michael Holstein said the state data suggested that German EU-harmonised consumer prices overall rose by 0.7% on the year, unchanged from October's inflation reading which marked a two-year high.
