Spain: The Running Of The Bulls May Be Slowing

Spain's economic boom may be starting to fade, as growth in the euro zone's fourth-largest economy falls victim to the same forces that are beginning to hit near-term growth prospects in Europe generally.

Spain's third-quarter gross domestic product, which increased 0.9% from the second quarter and 4.1% from a year ago, continued to exceed the euro zone's overall pace, which showed comparable third-quarter gains of 0.7% and 3.4%, respectively. Spain's boom, led by household spending and construction, had been powered by a steep drop in interest rates, to record lows, in the runup to its entry into the euro zone.