Boost for private sector in eurozone

The eurozone private sector has expanded at the fastest pace in seven months this month led by rising new orders, surveys showed yesterday, but firms are still cutting prices, suggesting the ECB will have a tough time spurring inflation.
By The Newsroom
Published 20th Feb 2015, 15:31 BST

The jump in activity will provide a glimmer of hope for policymakers who have struggled to steer the monetary union towards growth with modest inflation, but may also support the European Central Bank’s decision to buy sovereign bonds.

“For the first time since mid-2011 we’re seeing a broad-based improvement in growth,” said Chris Williamson, chief economist at survey compiler Markit.

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“This in part reflects increased confidence after the ECB announced quantitative easing, and we’ll see more improvements once asset purchases start in March.”

Markit’s Composite Flash Purchasing Managers’ Index, based on surveys of thousands of companies and seen as a good growth indicator, rose to 53.5, its best since July, from a final reading of 52.6 last month.

That beat even the highest forecast in a Reuters poll and marked the 20th month above the 50 level that separates growth from contraction.

Williamson said the PMI pointed to 0.3 per cent GDP growth in the current quarter, adding that a follow-through in March could push it up to 0.4 per cent.