Eurozone consumer confidence index hits 5-year high

Consumer and business confidence in the Eurozone rose to 108.2 points in January, the European Commission has announced. This is the largest increase since March 2011, sparking talks on the policy of quantitative easing and a subsequent rise in inflation at the end of 2016, leading some pundits to argue it should be railed in. The ECB, however, does not seem ready to share the same views, as it claims pressure on costs are still weak. In a separate study, 52 economists project a possible 1.5% increase in inflation, compared to 1.1%. The data is expected to be published by Eurostat on Thursday.