Investor sentiment in the eurozone unexpectedly turned negative in August, marking one of the first signs that the European Union's new trade agreement with the United States is being poorly received by the business community, Reuters reported citing a Sentix survey released on Monday. The Sentix index for the eurozone fell to -3.7 this month from 4.5 in July, ending a three-month streak of gains. The reading came in well below analysts' expectations of a rise to 8.0, according to a Reuters poll. "The tariff agreement is proving to be a real mood killer," said Sentix managing director Manfred Huebner, referring to the late-July framework trade deal between the EU and the US, which includes a 15 per cent import tariff on most EU goods. The survey, conducted from 31 July to 2 August with responses from 1,050 investors, also showed steep drops in both current conditions and future expectations. The current situation index declined to -13.0 from -7.3, while the expectations index dropped 11 points to 6.0. Investor sentiment in Germany, the eurozone's largest economy, saw a particularly sharp decline, with the index falling to -12.8 in August from -0.4 in July. Huebner noted the data suggests Berlin will need to reassess its approach in light of the trade deal's economic implications. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M.S.Salama
