LONDON, April 25 (Reuters) – The European Central Bank is
expected to cut interest rates next week but that won’t do much
to pull the euro zone economy out of recession, a Reuters poll
of 76 economists showed on Thursday.

A narrow majority expected a rate cut of 25 basis points.

But a far larger proportion – nearly two-thirds – say that
now is the time for European government to ease up on austerity.

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) – Major economies in North America, Europe and Asia lost some momentum this month, a clutch of business surveys showed on Tuesday, raising concerns about the strength of the global recovery.

China and Germany, the world’s biggest exporters, both lost momentum in April. Growth in Chinese factories slowed to a crawl as export demand dwindled, while the euro zone’s largest economy saw business activity decline for the first time in five months.

LONDON (Reuters) – China and Germany, the world’s two biggest exporters, showed new signs of weakness in major business surveys on Tuesday, increasing doubt about the strength of global demand and economic recovery.

A similar survey for U.S. manufacturing is due later in the day, expected to show growth among factories there slowed slightly this month.

LONDON (Reuters) – A sharp drop in German business activity overshadowed an easing downturn in France in April, surveys showed on Tuesday, raising concerns over a further economic contraction in the euro zone.

Markit’s flash euro zone services PMI, an early gauge of business activity each month, rose to 46.6 in April from 46.4 in March, below the 50 line that divides growth from contraction but matching the forecast of economists.

LONDON, April 19 (Reuters) – Spain’s success in raising
funds from the market in the last few weeks has led to far fewer
economists expecting it to need a sovereign bailout, a Reuters
poll showed on Friday.

Only seven of 49 respondents said Spain would need help,
down sharply from the 16 out of 48 who said it would in a March
27 poll.