Eurozone economy ends 2017 with best growth in seven years, PMIs suggest

Brussels

THE eurozone economy closed out the year with the strongest growth in nearly seven years, driven by accelerating services and manufacturing activity across all major economies, a survey showed on Thursday.

The news will put pressure on the European Central Bank (ECB) to close out its aggressive stimulus this year, and coincides with the central bank's decision to halve its monthly bond purchases to 30 billion euros (S$48.1 billion) starting this month.