The nascent recovery in euro zone businesses strengthened in September as order books filled at a faster rate and layoffs slowed to a trickle, surveys showed on Thursday, pointing to very mild growth in the third quarter.
Markit’s Euro zone Services Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), a monthly survey of businesses, rose to 52.2 in September from August’s 50.7, little changed from a preliminary reading of 52.1. Readings above 50 signify growth.
Growth in services companies, comprising the vast bulk of the euro zone’s private sector, increased at the fastest pace since June 2011, offsetting a slightly slower pace of expansion in manufacturing last month.
Germany again led the expansion, while services firms in the bloc’s next largest economies – France and Italy – returned to growth after more than a year in the red.
Spanish services businesses, however, disappointed slightly, slipping back into contraction after achieving modest growth in August.
via Reuters
This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.