Mumbai, May 2 -- German manufacturing production levels rose at the quickest rate for more than three years in April, supported by an upturn in export orders, the latest HCOB PMI survey showed.
Goods producers were less optimistic about the outlook, however, and they continued to reduce workforce numbers, albeit at a slower pace. Notably, latest data showed a rise in average prices charged by German manufacturers for the first time in almost two years. This was despite input costs recording a sharp and accelerated decline.
The headline HCOB Germany Manufacturing PMI - a gauge of overall business conditions derived from measures of new orders, output, employment, supplier delivery times and stocks of purchases - registered 48.4 in April, u...