Euro zone sentiment improved for a fourth consecutive month in December boosted by a rise in expectations to their strongest level since May 2011, as investors took heart from pledges by the European Central Bank and politicians to stand by the euro. Sentix research group said on Monday its index tracking investor sentiment in the euro zone strengthened to -16.8 from November's -18.8, though it fell short of expectations in a Reuters poll that mood would rise to -16.0. A sub-index of current euro zone sentiment rose modestly to -31.0 from -31.3, while the expectations component climbed significantly to -1.5 from a ... (full story)