Top related persons:
Top related locs:
Top related orgs:

Search resuls for: "HCOB's"


25 mentions found


Euro zone business activity expanded at its fastest pace in almost a year last month as a resurgence in the bloc's dominant services industry more than offset a deeper downturn in manufacturing, a survey showed on Monday. That was its second month above the 50 mark separating growth from contraction and the highest since May last year. The services PMI leapt to 53.3 from 51.5, above the flash estimate of 52.9 and its highest reading since last May. A sister survey released last week showed factory activity in the euro zone took a turn for the worse in April, highlighting the divergence between the two sectors. The composite future output index dipped only slightly from March's 61.6 - its highest since February 2022 - to 61.6.
Persons: Cyrus de la Rubia Organizations: P Global, Service, Hamburg Commercial Bank, PMI Locations: March's, Hamburg
A waiter picks up the terrace of the Zurich bar at Placa de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain April 4, 2023. A PMI for the services sector rose to 48.7 from October's 47.8. "The sombre outlook is reinforced by the fifth consecutive monthly shrinkage in new business. An index measuring new business - a gauge of demand - was below 50 for a fifth month although it did rise to 46.7 from 45.6. The composite future output index rose to 56.0 from 55.6.
Persons: Nacho, Cyrus de la Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Susan Fenton Organizations: Placa de, REUTERS, P Global, PMI, Hamburg Commercial Bank, Thomson Locations: Zurich, Barcelona, Spain, October's, Hamburg
Euro zone factory downturn eased a touch in November -PMI
  + stars: | 2023-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
REUTERS/Ina Fassbender/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The broad-based downturn in euro zone manufacturing activity eased slightly last month but the sector remained deeply rooted in contractionary territory, prompting factories to trim staffing levels for a sixth straight month. HCOB's final euro zone manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, rose to 44.2 in November from October's 43.1, above a preliminary estimate of 43.8. An index measuring output, which feeds into a composite PMI due on Tuesday and seen as a good gauge of economic health, climbed to 44.6 from 43.1. "November has not been the prettiest, and this does not refer only to the weather but also to the situation in the manufacturing sector of the euro zone," said Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank. The employment index dropped to a low not seen since August 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was cementing its grip on the world.
Persons: Ina Fassbender, Cyrus de la Rubia, Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Toby Chopra Organizations: ThyssenKrupp AG, REUTERS, P, Hamburg Commercial Bank, Thomson Locations: German, Duisburg, October's, Hamburg
Euro zone business activity fell again in November
  + stars: | 2023-11-23 | by ( Jonathan Cable | ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +3 min
LONDON, Nov 23 (Reuters) - The downturn in euro zone business activity eased in November but remained broadbased, suggesting the bloc's economy will contract again this quarter as consumers continue to rein in spending, a survey showed. "Ongoing weakness in the euro zone business surveys suggests a recession is on the horizon. The new business index rose to 46.7 from 45.6. Manufacturing activity, which has contracted every month since July 2022, fell again in November. Its PMI rose to 43.8 from 43.1, beating the poll expectation for 43.4 but resolutely below breakeven.
Persons: Mike Bell, Stephane Mahe, Bert Colijn, Jonathan Cable, Christina Fincher Organizations: PMI, P Global, Reuters, Morgan Asset Management, REUTERS, European Union, ING, Thomson Locations: October's, J.P, France, Nantes, Britain
Euro zone recession fears harden
  + stars: | 2023-11-06 | by ( Jonathan Cable | ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +3 min
LONDON, Nov 6 (Reuters) - The downturn in euro zone business activity accelerated last month as demand in the dominant services industry weakened further, a survey showed on Monday, suggesting there is a growing chance of a recession in the 20-country currency union. The economy contracted 0.1% in the third quarter, official data has shown, and Monday's final Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for October indicated the bloc entered the final quarter of 2023 on the back foot. Services activity in Germany, Europe's largest economy, slipped back into contraction in October amid persistent weakness in demand while in France it shrank again. In another bright spot, investor morale in the euro zone rose more than expected at the start of November, with expectations for the future at their rosiest since early this year, Sentix's index showed on Monday. Policymakers there, who have failed to get inflation to target, will likely take some cheer from easing price pressures shown in the PMI survey, as both the input and output prices indexes fell from their September readings.
Persons: Adrian Prettejohn, Jonathan Cable, Hugh Lawson, Toby Chopra Organizations: PMI, P Global, Capital Economics, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: September's, COVID, Germany, Europe's, France, Spain
Investors will look to the upcoming earnings season to see whether stocks can recover from recent losses or if more declines are ahead. "All year, we've seen the steady weakening in European soft data and, more recently, hard data. In a note titled "Q3 Earnings - Make or break," Barclays analysts echoed that sentiment, suggesting that despite resilient earnings thus far, more mixed third-quarter economic indicators hint at equally varied results. UBS analysts have identified stocks that could surprise, both positively and negatively, when their earnings results are released in the coming weeks. Fowler said UBS analysts have historically been pretty accurate at predicting surprises, especially when combined with a value investing bias, which has tended to outperform.
Persons: Gerry Fowler, we've, Fowler, CNBC's, Fowler isn't, Emmanuel Cau, Stocks Organizations: UBS, Barclays, Santander, Ryanair, Siemens Energy, Nordic, Universal Music, AstraZeneca Locations: Europe
In the United States, the manufacturing sector pulled out of a five-month contraction on a pickup in new orders, and services activity accelerated modestly amid signs of easing inflationary pressures. HEADACHE FOR THE ECBIn the euro zone, business activity drooped as demand fell in a broad-based downturn across the region, causing the bloc to enter the fourth quarter on the wrong foot and suggesting it may slip into recession. "The flash PMIs mark a poor start to October for the euro zone, especially after showing some early signs of recovery in September," said Rory Fennessy at Oxford Economics. Suggesting a recession is well underway in Germany, Europe's largest economy, business activity contracted there for a fourth straight month as the downturn in manufacturing was matched by a renewed decline in services, its PMI showed. In France, the euro zone's second-largest economy, business activity remained in contraction territory in October, PMI data showed, improving just slightly from September's near three-year low.
Persons: Rebecca Cook, Chris Williamson, Christine Lagarde's, Rory Fennessy, Williamson, Ajay Banga, Dan Burns, Jonathan Cable, Lindsay Dunsmuir, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Ford Rouge Electric Vehicle, REUTERS, P Global, Composite, Federal, Commerce Department, Reuters, P, P Global Market Intelligence, P Global PMI, September's, European Central Bank, Oxford Economics, PMI, European Union, Bank of, Palestinian, Hamas, Thomson Locations: Dearborn , Michigan, U.S, United States, joblessness, Germany, Europe's, France, September's, Britain, Gaza, Ukraine
HCOB's flash euro zone Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good guide to overall economic health, fell to 46.5 in October from September's 47.2, its lowest since November 2020. "In the euro zone, things are moving from bad to worse," said Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank. "We wouldn't be caught off guard to see a mild recession in the euro zone in the second half of this year with two back to back quarters of negative growth." While the 20-country euro zone will narrowly dodge a recession, according to a recent Reuters poll, the economy was expected to have only flatlined last quarter and will do the same again in the current one. The composite employment index fell to 49.4 from 50.8.
Persons: Sarah Meyssonnier, Cyrus de la Rubia, Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Hugh Lawson Organizations: Carrefour, REUTERS, P Global, Hamburg Commercial Bank, Service, PMI, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Montesson, Paris, France, September's, Hamburg
HCOB's final Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, nudged up to 47.2 in September from August's 46.7. Wednesday's survey showed the downturn was broad-based as, like in August, output declined in both services and manufacturing. "The HCOB Composite PMI for the euro zone did rebound a bit. A PMI covering the bloc's dominant services industry remained sub-50 for a second month but did rise to 48.7 from 47.9. Indeed, euro zone firms bulked up their teams at a faster pace than in August.
Persons: Cyrus de la Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Hugh Lawson Organizations: P Global, August's, PMI, Hamburg Commercial Bank, Thomson Locations: Germany, France, Hamburg
Euro zone economy likely contracted in Q3
  + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
HCOB's final Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, nudged up to 47.2 in September from August's 46.7. Wednesday's survey showed the downturn was broad-based as, like in August, output declined in both services and manufacturing. "The HCOB Composite PMI for the euro zone did rebound a bit. In one bright spot, services firms increased headcount at a faster pace last month than they did in August. Indeed, euro zone firms bulked up their teams at a faster pace than in August.
Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Cyrus de la Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, P Global, August's, PMI, Hamburg Commercial Bank, Thomson Locations: Duisburg, Germany, France, Hamburg
A steel worker of ThyssenKrupp walks in front of a blast furnace at a ThyssenKrupp steel factory in Duisburg, western Germany, November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Euro zone manufacturing activity remained mired in a deep and broad-based downturn last month, according to a survey which showed on Monday that demand kept shrinking at a pace rarely surpassed since the data was first collected in 1997. HCOB's final euro zone manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, dipped to 43.4 in September from August's 43.5, matching a preliminary estimate. An index measuring output, which feeds into a composite PMI due on Wednesday and seen as a good gauge of economic health, fell to 43.1 from 43.4. The new orders index did rise last month, to 39.2 from August's 39.0, but it remained firmly below the breakeven mark.
Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Cyrus de la Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, P, PMI, Hamburg Commercial Bank, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Duisburg, Germany, August's, Hamburg, France, Spain, Italy
The forecasts seem at odds as higher rates raise the credit costs that can crimp the economy. MSCI's U.S.-centric gauge of global equity performance and stocks on Wall Street bounced back while Treasury yields, which move inversely to price, retreated. Yields on two- and 10-year notes remained inverted at -68.3 basis points as the shorter-dated note yields more than the longer one. MSCI's all-world country index for stocks (.MIWD00000PUS) gained 0.14%, but the pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) closed down 0.31%. Oil prices rose as renewed global supply concerns from Russia's fuel export ban countered demand fears driven by macroeconomic headwinds and higher interest rates.
Persons: Brendan McDermid, Marvin Loh, Joe LaVorgna, SMBC, Brent, Craig Ebert, Huw Jones, Tom Westbrook, Marguerita Choy, Rashmi Aich, Aurora Ellis Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Bank, Japan, Treasury, Federal, Fed, U.S, SMBC Nikko Securities America, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Bank of, Japan's Nikkei, Investors, Bank of England, Swiss, Swiss National Bank, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Boston, New York, Asia, Japan, China, Sweden, Norway, BNZ, Wellington
Yet higher rates typically crimp bank loans and raise the cost of credit. MSCI's U.S.-centric gauge of global equity performance and stocks on Wall Street bounced back while the dollar and Treasury yields, which move inversely to price, retreated. The initial reassessment of the Fed's higher-for-longer policy drove the rise in Treasury yields and created headwinds for risk assets, including equities, credit and emerging markets, but supported the dollar. MSCI's all-world country index for stocks (.MIWD00000PUS) gained 0.37%, but the pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) fell 0.39%. In emerging markets, Indian bonds and the rupee rallied after JPMorgan said it would add Indian debt to its widely tracked emerging markets index, setting the stage for billions of dollars in foreign inflows.
Persons: Brendan McDermid, Marvin Loh, Brent, Craig Ebert, Huw Jones, Tom Westbrook, Marguerita Choy, Rashmi Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Bank, Japan, U.S, Treasury, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Bank of, Japan's Nikkei, Investors, Bank of England, Swiss, Swiss National Bank, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, U.S . Federal, Boston, Asia, Japan, China, Sweden, Norway, BNZ, Wellington
U.S. stock futures , , were slightly firmer ahead of the opening bell on Wall Street, signalling a pause after sharp losses on Thursday amid uncertainty over interest rates going into 2024. Benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields hit a 16-year high of 4.508%, later trading at 4.48%, while 30-year yields hit their highest in a dozen years. The Fed revised downwards its unemployment rate forecast for next year, and if the U.S. economic data continued to improve, it would put "upside risk" on interest rates, making the need for a soft landing all the greater, Osman added. Ten-year Japanese government bond futures rallied though cash yields were little changed and near decade highs at 0.745%. Gold firmed 0.3% to $1,925 an ounce despite pressure from the stronger dollar and bond yields.
Persons: what's, Eren Osman, Arbuthnot Latham, Osman, Mary Daly, Neel Kashkari, Susan Collins, Lisa Cook, Craig Ebert, Huw Jones, Tom Westbrook, Edmund Klamann, Kim Coghill, Rashmi Organizations: Bank of Japan, Global, Nasdaq, Treasury, ING, Bank of, Japan's Nikkei, Investors, Bank of England, Swiss, Swiss National Bank, JPMorgan, Thomson Locations: Europe, U.S, Asia, Japan, China, Sweden, Norway, BNZ, Wellington
Euro zone economy likely contracted this quarter
  + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Jonathan Cable | ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +4 min
LONDON, Sept 22 (Reuters) - The euro zone economy is likely contract this quarter and won't return to growth anytime soon, a survey showed, as the dampening effect of central banks' long campaign of interest rates rises becomes clearer. HCOB's flash euro zone Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, rose to 47.1 in September from August's 33-month low of 46.7. "The increase in the ECB key interest rate by 450 basis points in the meantime is slowing down the economy in all euro countries." OUT OF ORDERSeptember's fall in overall activity in the euro zone came despite firms barely increasing their charges. The services PMI rose to 48.4 from 47.9 but spent its second month below the breakeven mark this year.
Persons: Christoph Weil, France's, Andrew Bailey, Sarah Meyssonnier, Bert Colijn, Jonathan Cable, Toby Chopra Organizations: P Global, August's, Hamburg Commercial Bank, ECB, PMI, European Union, Bank of England, Carrefour, REUTERS, European Central Bank, ING, Thomson Locations: Hamburg, Germany, Commerzbank, Europe's, Britain, Montesson, Paris, France, Spain
Germany's services sector contracted for the first time this year and France's shrank more than first estimated. Japan proved an outlier as service sector activity expanded there at its quickest pace in three months, underpinned by robust consumer spending as inbound tourism regained momentum. "August's services PMI pointed to a contraction in UK private sector activity. ASIAN PAINChina's Caixin/S&P Global services PMI dropped to 51.8 in August from 54.1 in July, the lowest reading since December when COVID-19 confined many consumers to their homes. The data broadly aligned with the official services PMI released last week, which showed the sector continued to trend downwards.
Persons: Henry Nicholls, Adrian Prettejohn, Martin Beck, Duncan Wrigley, Jonathan Cable, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, RBC, P Global, Capital Economics, PMI, Bank of Japan, Pantheon, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, India, Japan, Asia, July's, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, COVID
Euro zone August downturn deeper than was thought
  + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
LONDON, Sept 5 (Reuters) - The decline in euro zone business activity accelerated faster than initially thought last month as the bloc's dominant services industry fell into contraction, according to a survey which suggests the bloc could drop into recession. REUTERS/Jon Nazca Acquire Licensing RightsThe headline services PMI sank to 47.9 from 50.9, below the flash 48.3 estimate, as indebted consumers feeling the pinch from increased borrowing fees and high living costs reined in spending. The new business index, a gauge of demand, dropped further below breakeven to 46.7 from 48.2, a low not seen since early 2021. Still, the downturn in manufacturing eased last month, suggesting the worst may be over for the bloc's beleaguered factories, a sister survey showed on Friday. The composite employment index dropped to 50.2 from 51.4.
Persons: Cyrus de la Rubia, Jon Nazca, Employers weren't, Jonathan Cable, Hugh Lawson Organizations: P Global, Hamburg Commercial Bank, REUTERS, PMI, Employers, Thomson Locations: July's, Hamburg, Ronda, Spain
Germany's services sector contracted for the first time this year and France's shrank more than first estimated. Japan proved an outlier as service sector activity expanded there at its quickest pace in three months, underpinned by robust consumer spending as inbound tourism regained momentum. "August's services PMI pointed to a contraction in UK private sector activity. ASIAN PAINChina's Caixin/S&P Global services PMI dropped to 51.8 in August from 54.1 in July, the lowest reading since December when COVID-19 confined many consumers to their homes. The data broadly aligned with the official services PMI released last week, which showed the sector continued to trend downwards.
Persons: Henry Nicholls, Adrian Prettejohn, Martin Beck, Duncan Wrigley, Jonathan Cable, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, RBC, P Global, Capital Economics, PMI, Bank of Japan, Pantheon, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, India, Japan, Asia, July's, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, COVID
[1/3] Euro currency bills are pictured at the Croatian National Bank in Zagreb, Croatia, May 21, 2019. The services component sank to 48.3 from 50.9, its first time below the 50 mark that separates growth from contraction this year. The single currency weakened after the German data, hitting its lowest level against the dollar since June 15 at $1.0805. "The decline in services activity was a sharp move and we've seen a soft euro environment," said Niels Christensen, chief analyst at Nordea. The spot yuan opened at 7.2870 per dollar on Wednesday and was last changing hands at 7.2899.
Persons: Antonio Bronic, Niels Christensen, Martin Beck, Jerome Powell's, Powell, Nordea's Christensen, Colin Asher, Samuel Indyk, Ankur Banerjee, Kim Coghill, Mark Potter, Chizu Organizations: Croatian National Bank, REUTERS, P, European Central Bank, PMI, Bank of England, Reuters, Federal, Japan's Ministry of Finance, Mizuho, Thomson Locations: Zagreb, Croatia, Britain, July's, U.S, Europe, tenterhooks, Tokyo, London, Singapore
LONDON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Euro zone business activity declined far more than thought in August with the slide in Germany particularly fast, while some inflationary pressures returned, surveys showed. Euro zone government bond yields and the euro tumbled after Wednesday's data as traders bet the ECB may soon pause its interest-rate hiking campaign. SERVICE SECTOR SLIDESThe euro zone services PMI sank as indebted consumers feeling the pinch from rising borrowing costs reined in spending. The services output prices index remained elevated at 55.9, albeit the lowest since October 2021 and below July's 56.1. "Another weak PMI for the euro zone confirms a sluggish economy with recession as a downside risk.
Persons: Mark Wall, Sarah Meyssonnier, Bert Colijn, Jonathan Cable, Hugh Lawson, Toby Chopra Organizations: European Central Bank, Reuters, PMI, Deutsche Bank, ECB, P Global, REUTERS, European Union, ING, Thomson Locations: Germany, July's, Europe's, Paris, France
There was considerable weakness seen in Germany, Europe's largest economy, while France and Italy, the second- and third-largest euro zone economies, also recorded marked deteriorations since June. HCOB's final euro zone manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global, fell to 42.7 in July from June's 43.4, its lowest since May 2020 and matching a preliminary reading. "It looks like the manufacturing recession is here to stay in the euro zone," said Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank. Demand fell sharply even though sinking input costs - which fell at the fastest pace since mid-2009 due to increased competition among suppliers - allowed factories to slash their charges. The output prices index was down to a near 14-year low of 45.0 from 47.0.
Persons: Cyrus de la Rubia, Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Susan Fenton Organizations: P Global, Hamburg Commercial Bank, European Central Bank, ECB, Thomson Locations: Germany, Europe's, France, Italy, HCOB's, June's, Hamburg
The survey also indicated the European Central Bank's sustained campaign of interest rate rises is starting to take its toll on consumers and denting the services sector. In our baseline case we expect subdued growth for the second half of the year, but today's data suggest the risk of a small contraction in euro zone GDP in Q3 is increasing." In France a downturn extended into July as both the services and manufacturing sectors did worse than expected. A PRICE TO PAYThe euro zone services PMI fell to 51.1 from 52.0, its lowest since January and shy of the Reuters poll forecast for 51.5. An index measuring output, which feeds into the composite PMI, fell to its lowest in over three years.
Persons: Paolo Grignani, Jack Allen, Reynolds, Jonathan Cable, John Stonestreet, Toby Chopra Organizations: P Global, June's, Oxford Economics, PMI, Reuters, Capital Economics, ECB, Thomson Locations: Germany, France, Europe's, Britain
Euro zone business activity contracts in June
  + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
LONDON, July 5 (Reuters) - Euro zone business activity slipped into contractionary territory last month in a broad-based downturn across the bloc's dominant services industry and a deepening decline of factory output, a survey showed. HCOB's final Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, slumped to 49.9 in June from May's 52.8. The slowdown in business activity growth was accompanied by a weaker rise in new business, lower price increases and a decline in business expectations," said Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank. The services new business index was barely above breakeven at a five-month low of 51.0. In one bright spot pricing pressures eased significantly in June with the composite output prices index falling to 53.8 from 56.4, its lowest since March 2021.
Persons: Kai Pfaffenbach, Cyrus de la Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Susan Fenton Organizations: P Global, May's, PMI, European Central Bank, REUTERS, Hamburg Commercial Bank, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Hamburg
In Asia, while factory activity expanded marginally in China, it contracted in Japan and South Korea as Asia's economic recovery struggled to maintain momentum. REUTERS/Siyi LiuChina's Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing PMI eased to 50.5 in June from 50.9 in May, the private survey showed. The figure, combined with Friday's official survey that showed factory activity extending declines, adds to evidence the world's No. South Korea's PMI fell to 47.8 in June, extending its downturn to a record 12th consecutive month on weak demand in Asia and Europe. Factory activity also contracted in Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia, the PMI surveys showed.
Persons: Rory Fennessy, lockdowns, Toru Nishihama, Siyi Liu China's, Jonathan Cable, Sam Holmes, David Evans Organizations: PMI, European Central Bank, Oxford Economics, P, Dai, Research, REUTERS, P Global, Reuters, Jibun, of, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Japan, South Korea, China, TOKYO, Europe, Britain, Asia, United States, European, U.S, Dezhou, Shandong province, South, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, of Japan's
Euro zone business growth stalls in June -flash PMI
  + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com   time to read: +2 min
LONDON, June 23 (Reuters) - Euro zone business growth virtually stalled this month as the downturn in manufacturing deepened while activity in the bloc's dominant services industry barely expanded, a survey showed on Friday. HCOB's flash Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for the bloc, compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, sank to a five-month low of 50.3 in June from May's 52.8. That was barely above the 50 mark separating growth from contraction and below all forecasts in a Reuters poll which had predicted a more modest decline to 52.5. An index measuring output, which feeds into the composite PMI, fell to 44.6 from 46.4. Last week the ECB raised euro zone borrowing costs to their highest level in 22 years and said stubbornly high inflation all but guaranteed another move next month and likely beyond that too.
Persons: Cyrus de la Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Susan Fenton Organizations: P Global, May's, Hamburg Commercial Bank, PMI, Reuters, European Central Bank, ECB, Thomson Locations: Hamburg
Total: 25