The flash eurozone composite purchasing managers' index rose to 53.1 in September from 52.0 in August, its strongest reading since April 2023. The survey suggests businesses were busier even as energy costs remained a concern. A PMI is useful because firms see orders and workloads before official output figures arrive. It is still a survey, not a final measure of GDP: the bills, wages and sales figures will come later.
What it means: What does a PMI above 50 mean? More surveyed firms reported improving activity than worsening activity compared with the previous month; it does not mean the economy grew by that percentage.