Investing.com - Retail sales in the euro zone rose unexpectedly in February, easing concerns over the region’s economic outlook, official data showed on Thursday.
In a report, Eurostat said retail sales increased by a seasonally adjusted 0.4% in February, compared to expectations for a 0.6% decline. Retail sales increased 1% in January, whose figure was revised down from a previously reported gain of 1.6%.
Year-over-year, retail sales in the euro zone rose at an annualized rate of 0.8% in February from a year earlier, in line with expectations and after rising 0.8% in January.
Following the release of the data, the euro held on to modest losses against the U.S. dollar, with EUR/USD dipping 0.04% to trade at 1.3761.
Meanwhile, European stock markets remained mixed. The Euro Stoxx 50 rose 0.15%, France's CAC 40 added 0.1%, Germany's DAX edged down 0.2%, while London’s FTSE 100 tacked on 0.2%.