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Spain: Has growth peaked?
The Spanish economy continued its strong performance at the beginning of the year recording 0.7% quarter-on-quarter growth identical to third and fourth quarter growth in 2017. This figure was expected as the high-frequency data for the first quarter was overall optimistic. The average PMI for 1Q18 was higher than 4Q17's, the unemployment rate continued to decline and consumer confidence still remains at a considerably high level despite having dipped slightly. Cool down ahead? Looking ahead, the Spanish economy could cool down a little. The European Sentiment Indicator (ESI) for Spain increased from 109.0 in March ... (full story)