Who would have thought 12 months ago that Europe would have become the destination of choice for investors in 2017? What has changed?
No progress on key issues
'Potential headwinds of a stronger euro'
Europe's economic recovery continues to broaden and deepen. The ongoing expansion is supported by a synchronised global growth backdrop with few medium-term concerns coming from the international trade impulse.
Stocks chosen from the FTSE 350 and Stoxx 600
Fundamentals stronger than headlines suggest
At first glance, European smaller companies look expensive. They trade on a two-year forward earnings-per-share multiple of 15.8x, against their 15-year average of 13x.
Valuations have doubled over five years