Euro-Area CPI Weakens, EU Optimism, U.K. in Slow Lane: Eco Day

(Bloomberg) -- Welcome to Thursday, Americas. Here’s news from Bloomberg Economics to help get your day started:

• It’s jobs day in the U.S. tomorrow -- here are four questions investors may want to consider
• Euro-area inflation unexpectedly weakened in April, in a setback for European Central Bank policy makers as they debate when they might be able to wind down their bond-buying program. Index
• Still, the European Commission shrugged off the euro area’s sluggish start to the year and said economic growth will almost match 2017’s best-in-a-decade performance.
• At the same time, it cautioned that an increase in global trade conflicts could threaten the broadest economic expansion the world has seen in years, echoing recent warnings from the International Monetary Fund
• The U.K.’s dominant service sector grew at a slower-than-expected pace in April, raising further questions about the underlying strength of the British economy
  • Meanwhile, the richest corner of Britain is struggling to balance the books
• With the chances of a rate hike at next week’s BOE meeting now below 10 percent, here’s a look at the runners and riders for the top job when Mark Carney leaves year
• Norway’s central bank kept its signal intact to start raising interest rates in the second half of this year, undeterred by a cooling economic recovery in western Europe’s biggest oil producer

To contact the reporter on this story: David Goodman in London at dgoodman28@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Gordon at pgordon6@bloomberg.net.

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