Yet increasingly, euro area specific factors, particularly exposure to higher oil prices, risk further weakness in an already stagnating economy, and the single currency.
The euro is especially vulnerable to rising oil prices, with net imports accounting for over 90% of oil products available in the European Union.
"High oil prices are weighing on the euro area's terms of trade, and if oil prices move above $100 per barrel to $110 per barrel we think it will be difficult for the euro to avoid parity," said Nomura's G10 FX strategist Jordan Rochester.
But it also lifts price pressures through higher import costs, compounding the impact from higher oil prices.
"Definitely the euro zone is not in a good place right now," said Moec, adding that he did not rule out a euro move to parity.
Persons:
Dado Ruvic, Jordan, Nomura, Morgan Stanley, Jens Eisenschmidt, Francesco Pesole, Athanasios, Gilles Moec, Dhara Ranasinghe, Alun John, Yoruk, Christina Fincher
Organizations:
U.S, REUTERS, European Union, OPEC, Barclays, European Central Bank, ECB, ING, Germany, Bank of America, AXA Investment, Thomson
Locations:
Jordan Rochester, United States, ITALY, Italy, U.S, London, Amsterdam