Europe's economic blahs drag on with zero growth at the end of last year

Europe’s economy failed to expand at the end of 2023. The stagnation has now lasted for more than a year amid higher energy prices, costlier credit and lagging growth in powerhouse Germany. The EU statistics agency said Tuesday that zero growth for the October-to-December period of last year follows a 0.1% contraction in the three months before that. The start of this year looks no better, with indicators of business activity still flashing red for contraction. Plus, disruptions to shipping in the Red Sea have constricted global trade through the Suez Canal, a major route between Asia and Europe, surging shipping costs and threatening to boost inflation.