Once Lagging Euro Region Outstrips World on Wave of Liquidity

The euro-area economy is riding the biggest wave of liquidity since the birth of the single currency to its fastest expansion in four years.

The long-term laggard of global growth is for now even outpacing the U.S as it cashes in on ultra-loose monetary policy, weakness in the euro and oil prices, fading fiscal austerity, surging stocks and renewed bank lending. Barclays Plc reckons such forces make overall monetary and financial conditions the easiest since the euro began trading in 1999.