Euro-area economic boom to roll on after strong start to 2018

Athens

EUROPE'S growth resurgence is showing little sign of losing steam yet and economists have taken notice.

In Bloomberg's monthly survey, the first of the year, respondents bumped up their 2018 outlook to 2.2 per cent, close to the decade-high 2.4 per cent pace estimated for last year. The optimism is in contrast to the muted view at the start of 2017. Economists back then saw momentum slowing, but had to keep upgrading projections to keep up with the economy's performance.

The 19-nation region has started the year with a string of positive numbers, including stronger business sentiment in Germany and France, its biggest economies. Having long cast off its "sick man" tag, the improvements have given fresh impetus to the European Central Bank's hawkish policy makers to push for an end to …