1115 GMT - Despite a sharp decline in overall eurozone business activity, manufacturers proved a bright spot, ING's Bert Colijn says in a note. Provisional March PMIs showed higher energy prices due to the Middle East conflict causing significant increases in input costs and supply-chain disruptions. Output in the industrial sector remained broadly stable, showing resilience to rising costs. However, manufacturers' expectations for the coming months soured. "The eurozone's vulnerabilities are once again laid bare. For energy-intensive industry, this means that a recovery will be harder to achieve," Colijn says. Much will depend on the timeline of conflict in Iran. "A fairly fast end would boost hopes of a more modest impact on consumer prices and would increase chances of a rebound for industry," he says. (don.forbes@wsj.com)
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
March 24, 2026 07:15 ET (11:15 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Comments