Eurozone Sentix index improves more than expected in April, shrugs off French election fears

Data released by the Frankfurt-based Sentix research group on Monday showed that investor sentiment in the euro zone improved more than expected in April to remain at the highest level in almost ten years. Eurozone Sentix index rose to 23.9 points, its highest level since August 2007, beating expectations at 21.0.

Data showed that eurozone investor morale shrugged off risks linked to a closely watched presidential election in France. April's rise compared to a rise to 20.7 last month from 17.4 in February.

"The euro zone has emancipated itself from global tendencies, as the assessment for other world regions is by no means unequivocal," Sentix said in a statement.

Sentix said the current situation sub-index for the euro zone was 28.8, up from 23.8 in March. An index tracking Germany, the euro zone's largest economy, rose to 35.3 in April from 34.1 in March. By contrast, the indices for the United States and Japan fell.

"The strong euro zone, which has been fired up by an extremely expansive monetary policy, has not failed to leave its mark on the strongest euro economy," Sentix said, suggesting Germany was benefiting from a recovery in the currency bloc.