Positive data coming out of the US caused the FTSE 100 to stage a strong rally this afternoon after it plunged nearly 100 points by midday.

Figures published today revealed that US retail sales grew by 0.6 per cent in October, better than the 0.2 per cent expected, while New York’s regional manufacturing index showed growth of 0.61 in the sector, a huge improvement from last month’s reading of an 8.48 per cent decline.

The figures strongly suggest that the US is in no danger of the recession many feared a month ago, which has helped to mend some of the damage inflicted on world markets by the Eurozone crisis.

The blue-chip index closed today only 0.03 per cent down at 5,517.44, despite slipping to 5,429 at midday.

The drop came as sovereign debt issues continued to worry investors, with Italian ten-year bond yields once again entering bailout territory by breaking the 7 per cent mark.

The uncertainty has now infected other Eurozone economies, with Spanish ten-year yields reaching a euro-era high of 6.34, with Belgian (currently 4.9 per cent) and French (3.6 per cent) yields also soaring.

GDP (growth domestic product) figures released today also showed that the Eurozone grew by 0.2 per cent during the third quarter.

The figures led to further calls for the European Central Bank (ECB) to take a more active role in buying up sovereign debt, becoming a ‘lender of last resort’ or even turning to quantitative easing.

Germany has been solidly opposed to any such action by the ECB but Peter Bofinger, one of Angela Merkel’s economic advisors, today broke ranks to admit that it may be necessary.

The news will be welcomed by David Miller, partner at Cheviot Asset Management, who believes that Germany needs to ‘get off the fence’ and force the ECB to act.

He said, ‘The weakness in bond markets is symptomatic of the lack of a credible plan in the Eurozone. Greece, Italy, Spain and France have fallen foul of bond weaknesses and until the Germans get off the fence and ask the ECB to print Euros we can expect the trend to follow in all other Eurozone bond markets.

‘The IMF and Fed are waiting in the wings to help, but Germany needs to take the lead in tackling the crisis.’