Europe’s Extended Factory Slump Puts a Chill on Rebound Hopes

Anyone betting that Europe’s industrial engine was poised for a second-half rebound received a rude awakening Wednesday.

“The latest developments have proved to be something of a cold shower for those expectations,” ING economist Carsten Brzeski wrote in a research note. “Not the relieving kind on a hot summer’s day, but rather an ice cold shower in the winter when the central heating is broken.”