The year ahead is shaping up badly for Europe with its financial markets already hit hard by U.S. tariff fears and political turmoil in France and Germany, yet some investors are calling peak pessimism and hunting for bargains amid the gloom. European stocks are set to underperform the U.S. by the most in at least 25 years, MSCI data showed, while the euro has slumped more than 5% against the dollar and some forecasters expect sustained bad news to drag it below $1. "We believe Europe could be a positive surprise for underexposed investors," said Edmond de Rothschild co-head of equities Caroline Gauthier.