Eurozone Einkaufsmanagerindex Verarbeitendes Gewerbe

The HCOB Flash Eurozone Manufacturing PMI fell to 45.6 in April 2024, the lowest in four months, from 46.1 in March, and below forecasts of 46.5. The reading continued to point to a persistent contraction in the factory sector, although production fell at the slowest rate in a year and job losses have eased somewhat. Also, manufacturing input prices continued to fall, helped by improved supply conditions. Otherwise, the picture remains rather bleak, with new business continuing to decline rapidly, along with order backlogs. Weak demand for industrial products was also evident in the sharp decrease in the volume of purchased inputs and the absence of a turnaround in the inventory cycle.