The euro hit four month highs on Wednesday against the U.S. dollar, as Europe's growth prospects improved after Germany's proposed 500-billion euro ($531 billion) infrastructure fund, potentially offsetting global trade tensions.

Germany’s historic plan to ramp up spending shook European markets on Wednesday, powering equities past their US peers, reviving the euro from the brink of parity with the dollar and consigning German bunds to their worst day since 1990.

Germany's plans to go on its biggest public spending spree in 35 years will likely lead to higher borrowing costs across the euro zone – and that's a good thing.

The pound weakened against the euro on Wednesday as traders piled into the common currency after Germany's plan for a massive infrastructure fund and an easing of debt rules to boost spending, though the British currency did gain on the dollar.

Senior German lawmakers sound alarm bells that a sudden cutoff could leave Europe dangerously exposed. BERLIN — The Bundestag’s top intelligence experts are calling for a European spy network, warning that Europe can’t rely on intelligence from the United States amid growing uncertainty.

The single currency has climbed more than 4.5 per cent against the dollar this week, its biggest rise since 2009, on the prospects for a rebound in Europe just as Donald Trump’s aggressive trade policy raises concern over the health of the American economy.

The two political parties expected to form the next German government have agreed to significantly loosen the country’s constitutional restriction on deficits, enabling 1 trillion euros ($1.08 trillion) or more in new borrowing and spending on defense and infrastructure.

The parties hoping to form Germany's next government agreed to create a 500 billion euro infrastructure fund and overhaul borrowing rules, a tectonic spending shift that jolted markets on Wednesday on hopes of reviving Europe's largest economy.

BERLIN - The parties hoping to form Germany's next government have agreed to create a 500 billion euro infrastructure fund and overhaul borrowing rules, a tectonic spending shift that jolted markets on Wednesday on hopes of reviving Europe's largest economy.

Twenty-five years after the launch of the euro, the European Union faces a serious predicament, with the two largest economies — Germany and France — struggling to improve their competitiveness with coalition governments are under pressure.

So-called core inflation, which strips out energy, food, alcohol and tobacco costs, came in at 2.6% in February, also lower than January's print. Euro zone inflation eased to 2.4% in February but came in slightly above analyst expectations, according to flash data from statistics agency Eurostat out on Monday.