Euro Area Retail Sales Analysis
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 05 2026
0mins
Should l Buy GF?
Source: seekingalpha
- Year-over-Year Retail Sales: Euro Area retail sales rose 1.3% in December, falling short of the 1.6% estimate, indicating a slowdown in consumer spending growth that could impact the pace of economic recovery.
- Month-over-Month Decline: Retail sales dropped 0.5% month-over-month in December, missing the expected 0.2% decline, suggesting that consumer confidence may be affected by seasonal factors and economic uncertainties.
- Inflation Data: Euro Area inflation eased to 1.7% in January, meeting market expectations, reflecting a reduction in price pressures that may support the European Central Bank's monetary policy decisions.
- Market Reactions: European markets showed mixed performance ahead of the ECB and BOE interest rate decisions, with investors divided on future interest rate expectations.
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Analyst Views on GF
Wall Street analysts forecast GF stock price to rise
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Current: 10.470
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Current: 10.470
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About GF
The New Germany Fund, Inc. (the Fund) is a diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation primarily through investment in middle-market German equities. The focus of the Fund's investments lies within Germany. Under normal market conditions at least 80% of the Fund’s net assets are invested in equity or equity-linked securities. The Fund invests in range of sectors, which include aerospace and defense; auto components; automobiles; banks; building products; chemicals; electrical equipment; independent power and renewable electricity producers; insurance; Internet and direct marketing retail; information technology (IT) services, life sciences tools and services; metals and mining; real estate management and development; software; textiles, apparel and luxury goods; trading companies and distributors; diversified financial services; commercial services and supplies, and others. The Fund's investment advisor is DWS International GmbH.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- European Gas Prices Rise: European natural gas futures increased nearly 6% to above €50 per MWh, recovering from a three-week low, reflecting market sensitivity to geopolitical risks that may lead to fluctuations in energy costs.
- Bond Yields Climb: The yield on the US 10-year Treasury rose by 5 basis points to 4.37%, while the UK's and Germany's 10-year yields increased by 6 and 3 basis points respectively, indicating market expectations for rising interest rates that could affect investor asset allocation.
- Stablecoin Regulation Proposal: Germany and Italy jointly proposed an EU-wide “kill switch” to swiftly ban foreign global stablecoins if they threaten financial stability or breach regulations, reflecting an increasing focus on fintech regulation.
See More
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- Cross-Border Liquidity Assurance: The proposal ensures that reserves backing stablecoins can be swiftly mobilized during times of stress, and if cross-border liquidity cannot be guaranteed, regulators could halt or restrict the stablecoin's use in the EU, aiming to protect market stability.
- Concerns Over Market Dominance: EU policymakers are increasingly worried about the dominance of dollar-backed stablecoins in the market, which could undermine Europe's financial autonomy, thus necessitating prompt action to address potential risks.
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See More
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- Intensified Cost Pressures: Input cost inflation recorded its largest single-month increase due to surging oil and gas prices, which heightens cost pressures on businesses and may impact future profitability and pricing strategies.
- Significant Supply Chain Delays: Supply chain delays have worsened, with input lead times extending to their highest levels since mid-2022; however, businesses reported growth in output and new orders, reflecting resilient market demand.
- Declining Business Expectations: Despite the PMI increase, business expectations sharply retreated to a four-month low, indicating weakened confidence in future economic conditions, which could affect investment decisions and market activity.
See More
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- Year-over-Year Decline: Despite the month-over-month increase, the unemployment rate has decreased from 6.3% in February 2025, suggesting improvements in the labor market over the past year, which may support future economic growth.
- Modest Production and New Orders Growth: The Euro Area recorded slight increases in both production and new orders, although specific figures were not disclosed, this trend may reflect a gradual recovery in economic activity, boosting market confidence in recovery.
- Surge in German Input Costs: Germany's input cost inflation has surged to its highest level since October, potentially putting pressure on corporate profit margins and affecting the overall economic growth outlook.
See More
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- German Inflation Pressure: Germany's input cost inflation surged to its highest level since October, indicating worsening supply chain issues that could negatively impact corporate profits and consumer spending.
- Euro Area Production and Orders: The Euro Area recorded modest upticks in both production and new orders, reflecting a gradual recovery in economic activity despite ongoing price and supply chain pressures, potentially laying the groundwork for future economic recovery.
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See More
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- Supply Chain Challenges: The war in the Middle East has sharply increased supplier delivery times, as logistics markets adjust to maritime disruptions, further complicating operational challenges for manufacturers and potentially impacting production efficiency and delivery capabilities.
- Rising Cost Pressures: Surging oil and energy prices have pushed factory input cost inflation to its highest level since late 2022, with this cost increase likely being passed through to final prices, thereby weakening the Eurozone's competitiveness in global markets.
- Uncertain Demand Outlook: Although the manufacturing sector had been gaining momentum since early 2026, the inflationary pressures driven by the war may place renewed pressure on demand, with economists warning that this could affect future market demand and production decisions.
See More
