Eurozone Manufacturing PMI Rises in April

The Eurozone Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) showed a notable improvement in April, reaching 49, up from 48.6 in March. This marks a 32-month high, according to a joint report by S&P Global and Hamburg Commercial Bank (HCOB) released on Friday.

Output Index Reaches New Heights

The Manufacturing PMI Output Index also saw a significant increase, jumping to 51.5 in April from 50.5 in March, achieving a 37-month high. Notably, Greece and Ireland led the way with the best performance in their manufacturing sectors during the month.

Employment and Confidence Levels

While employment levels continued to contract, the rate of decline accelerated. However, the report highlighted that "confidence was the weakest in 2025 so far," indicating cautious optimism among manufacturers.

Expert Insights

"The near stabilisation of the industrial economy was helped by a production pick-up in both Germany and France in April, and Italy is fighting its way back into expansion territory," commented HCOB Chief Economist Cyrus de la Rubia. He also noted the expansion of profit margins in April, attributing it to falling purchasing prices and rising selling prices, the latter at their fastest pace in two years. However, he warned of potential challenges ahead due to US tariff policy and increased competition from Chinese goods in the EU market.