Euro zone investor morale slumps

BERLIN, Aug 5 (Reuters): Investor morale in the euro zone fell for a second consecutive month in August, a survey showed on Monday, dropping to its lowest level since January.

The Sentix index for the euro zone fell to -13.9 points for August from -7.3 in July. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected it to drop to -8.0 this month.

The index on expectations also saw a sharp drop, falling to -8.8 points from 1.5 in July, a figure that Sentix said was "likely to worry forecasters" as the already weak economic situation is set to deteriorate further over the next 6 months.

The survey said that investors were concerned about the fragile geopolitical situation, especially in the Middle East, upcoming German state elections and uncertainty over the U.S. presidential election later this year.

Investor morale nosedived in Germany, Europe's largest economy, falling to -31.1 in August from -19.0 the previous month. The index on the current situation in Germany plummeted to -42.8 in August from -32.3 in July.

The poll of 1,150 investors was conducted between August 1-3, Sentix said.