Markets jump as eurozone GDP growth surprises in Q4

The eurozone economy beat growth expectations in the last quarter of 2014, buoyed by a resurgent Germany.

The eurozone posted GDP growth of 0.3% in Q4, against 0.2% growth in the previous quarter and 0.9% over 2014 as a whole. The German economy grew by 0.7% over the quarter, far surpassing estimates of around 0.3%, after contracting 0.1% in Q3. The figures mean the UK is no longer the fastest growing European country, recording 0.5% growth in the final three months of last year. Improving sentiment helped life European markets to record levels, with the German DAX hitting an all-time high of over 11,000 on Friday and the Stoxx Europe 600 reaching a seven-year high in early trading. ...