German ZEW Economic Sentiment
Published:
ZEW survey balance of analysts' six-month expectations for the German economy.
Full explanation
German ZEW Economic Sentiment is the ZEW (Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research) indicator of economic expectations for Germany. Each month ZEW asks financial-market analysts whether they expect the German economy to improve, stay the same or worsen over the next six months; the indicator is the percentage expecting improvement minus the percentage expecting deterioration, so it ranges from -100 to +100 and 0 is neutral. It is not seasonally adjusted. It is published on a Tuesday around the middle of the month. It is the German expectations measure only: ZEW publishes separately an assessment of the current situation in Germany (Current Conditions) and expectations for the euro area (Eurozone ZEW Economic Sentiment), which are different series.
Why traders watch it
It is one of the earliest monthly gauges of professional sentiment about the German economy.
Stronger vs weaker outcomes
Positive values mean more analysts expect improvement than deterioration; negative values the opposite. A stronger-than-expected reading tends to support the euro.
A higher reading means analysts are more optimistic about Germany.
A lower reading means they are more pessimistic.
Above 0 = more expect improvement than deterioration.
Release details
- Release frequency
- Monthly (Tuesday around mid-month)
Typical volatility
medium. Not the same as Eurozone ZEW sentiment or the German current-conditions balance released at the same time; the ifo survey of firms is a different survey again.
Trading considerations
- Compare with the current-conditions balance.
- Compare with the ifo survey later in the month.
Educational guidance only — never a trading signal or recommendation.
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