Euro area data have been weaker than expected in recent months. In fact, industrial production growth fell in the second half of 2018 and the decline was widespread across sectors and most major economies. Business investment weakened. On the external side, euro area trade disappointed, with noticeable declines in net exports. As a result, economic growth turned out to be weaker than expected: euro area real GDP increased by 0.2% quarter-on-quarter in the last two quarters of 2018, down from 0.4% in the first two quarters (on the basis of preliminary figures). Factors of idiosyncratic nature have been pulling growth ... (full story)