Italy, index PMI: manufacturing sector growth accelerates in April

The Italian manufacturing sector still improves in April with the strongest growth since last December, showing signs of improvement both in terms of orders, is in production, and employment.

The manufacturing PMI index, prepared by Markit / Adaci, rose in April for the second consecutive month, reaching 53.9 points from 53.5 in March and consolidating above the threshold of 50 that separates growth from those surveys of the sector contraction.

The figure was better than economists' expectations, which indicated a slowdown in growth, a Reuters poll in fact gave the index to fall to 53.0 share points, with forecasts oscillating between 52.5 and 54.0.

The reading of the PMI is consistent with the possibility that the modest economic growth shown by Italy in the last year will continue, and possibly accelerate, in the second quarter. The Italian GDP grew by 0.8% in 2015, the first year of expansion after three recessions; however, Italian growth remains at about half the average of the 19 euro-zone countries. The government expected to accelerate to 1.2% in 2016.