Market signs indicate borrowing costs will stay low for years

GDP for the opening quarter of 2016 showed the eurozone economy expanded solidly — up both from the previous quarter and on an annual basis.

Other data for the quarter suggest the economy was boosted by strengthening consumer spending and industrial production, amongst other factors.

Retail sales grew by 0.7% in the eurozone in the first quarter, up from the 0.2% rise in the previous quarter. The underlying data point to a relatively broad-based improvement in spending in early 2016.