Economic and financial indicators.

This section presents economic and financial news briefs and statistics on the fifteen leading world economies. Worries about job prospects caused the Conference Board's index of American consumer confidence to fall sharply in February, to its lowest level since October. Business confidence fell across Europe in February. On the other hand, the stronger euro is helping to curb the cost of imports, and hence inflation. Spain's GDP rose by a higher than expected 0.7% in the fourth quarter of 2003; output was 2.7% up on a year earlier. Canada's inflation rate fell to 1.2% in January, from 2.0% in December, largely because an electricity rebate in December 2002 (which distorted the December 2003 rate) dropped out of the 12-month price change. The Swiss economy has suffered in the past two years as businesses have cut investment and run down inventories in response to the world downturn. Exports have also been hampered by the appreciation in the Swiss franc.