Mixed signals given out by Europe's consumers

While the consumer should remain in good shape in Europe, Alex Darwall, European fund manager at Jupiter, says this is nothing to get particularly enthusiastic about. 'You can't get excited about the consumer in Europe, as there is not enough evidence to provide real optimism,' he says. 'We are seeing mixed information. One area where there has been an improvement is bookings in the airline sector. But year to date, the car market has weakened, particularly in Germany.' Adrian Darley, European fund manager at Gartmore, is more optimistic. He says given that the US consumer has ...