Germany's private sector unexpectedly returned to growth in April, driven by a solid rise in activity in the country’s service sector, a preliminary survey showed on Tuesday. The composite PMI index tracks the services and manufacturing sectors that together account for more than two-thirds of the German economy. "Factoring in the PMI numbers into our GDP Nowcast, we estimate that GDP may expand by 0.2% in the second quarter, following an estimated 0.1% growth in the first quarter," said Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank.
Manufacturing activity across the eurozone deteriorated further in March, shrinking at a faster pace than in February although there were indications of.