Euro area economic activity on the maximum from 7 months to February – Reuters Italy

       

LONDON (Reuters) – The price drop and the euro helped push economic activity in the euro zone in February, bringing the maximum of seven months .

       

The survey SMEs, by Markit, indicates that the first quarter may close with a GDP growth of 0.3%, in line with the end of 2014, thanks to the expansion of all four of the major economies of the region, something that has not happened since last April.

       

These growth estimates are in line with forecasts gathered by Reuters last month.

       

“The outlook has improved in all countries. The weaker euro should help exports and, perhaps more importantly, the start of quantitative easing by the ECB should stimulate the economy during the year “said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit.

       

The final composite PMI index for the month of February rose its highest for seven months to 53.3. Although lower than the preliminary estimate of 53.5, the figure is well above the 52.6 in January and, for the twentieth month in a row, above the 50 threshold that separates contraction from growth.

       

The services PMI rose to 53.7 from 52.7 in January, again slightly below the preliminary estimate of 53.9.

        
       

On the site www.reuters.it other news Reuters in Italian. The top news also on www.twitter.com/reuters_italia

       
          © Thomson Reuters 2015 All rights reserved Market Reuters.