Indicators
Euro Area’s Top Economies Contract, Delaying Bloc’s Growth
- Composite PMI rises to nine-month high of 49.9; est. 49.7
- French activity gauge slips to 47.7; Germany rises to 47.4
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The euro area’s two largest economies continued to contract in March, feeding expectations that a sustained pickup in activity will take more time to materialize.
France’s private sector shrank at a slightly quicker pace this month than in February, according to business surveys by S&P Global released on Thursday. Germany’s downturn eased, but this was solely due to the services sector, which came close to stabilizing.