LONDON (Reuters) – Private sector activity in the euro zone contracted at a slower pace in December, the weakest in four months, suggesting the coming recession is likely to be less severe than previously thought. previously thought so, the first results of the monthly survey of purchasing managers from S&P Global show on Friday.
The composite PMI, which includes both services and manufacturing, rose to 48.8 from 47.8 in November and 48.0 for the Reuters consensus.
The “flash” services PMI came out at 49.1. Economists polled by Reuters on average expected a figure of 48.5, as in November.
That of the manufacturing sector, at 47.8 after 47.1, exceeds the consensus, which gave it stable at 47.1.
“While the further downturn in activity recorded in December in the euro zone underlines the very high probability of a recession in the region, the latest data from the PMI survey also suggest that the economic slowdown will be less severe than expected. a few months ago,” said Chris Williamson, an economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
The new orders index fell for a sixth consecutive month and prices paid by businesses recorded their smallest increase in more than a year and a half.
(Indradip Ghosh in Bangalore, French version Laetitia Volga, edited by Blandine Hénault)
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