Austria Manufacturing Activity Nears Stabilization

(RTTNews) - The downturn in Austria's factory activity eased and moved closer to stabilization in February amid a fresh growth in new orders, survey results from S&P Global showed Wednesday.

The UniCredit Bank Austria Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index rose to a 3-month high of 49.4 in January from 47.2 in December. Nonetheless, any score below 50.0 indicates contraction in the sector.

Among components, new orders grew for the first time in three months, and production levels were broadly unchanged in February. However, manufacturers remained in retrenchment mode as they reported further cuts to purchasing activity and employment. The rate of job shedding was the fastest in four months in connection with cost-cutting efforts.

On the price front, input price inflation accelerated to the fastest since January 2023, linked to higher raw material costs, particularly metals. As a result, selling prices rose for the first time in ten months.

Looking ahead, firms remained optimistic about business expectations over the year ahead, with the degree of confidence rising to the highest in just over four years amid hopes of an improvement in market conditions, including in the construction sector, alongside plans for new products.