
More Indicators of Optimism in the Euro-zone
Summary
The PMI index for the manufacturing sector of the Euro-zone rose for the fourth consecutive month in October. Moreover, the index was above 50 in September and October. A reading above 50 means that activity in the manufacturing [...]
The PMI index for the manufacturing sector of the Euro-zone rose for the fourth consecutive month in October. Moreover, the index was above 50 in September and October. A reading above 50 means that activity in the manufacturing sector is in an expansionary phase whereas a reading below 50 means that business is in a contractionary phase.
The PMI index tends to lead the manufacturing sector of the Industrial Production index.
Although the data suggest that the area, as a whole, is only in the early stages of expansion, indexes, available* for France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain and Greece, show that the move to an expansionary stage is widespread. The indexes for Greece, Austria and Spain declined slightly in October, but they remained above the 50 mark.
Purchasing Managers Survey | AUG 2003 | JULY 2003 |
---|---|---|
Euro-zone | 51.32 | 50.09 |
France | 50.96 | 48.60 |
Germany | 51.18 | 20.22 |
Italy | 51.79 | 49.79 |
Netherlands | 51.43 | 51.31 |
Ireland | 52.40 | 50.44 |
Spain | 50.28 | 50.69 |
Austria | 54.31 | 54.41 |
Greece | 50.21 | 51.36 |