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Euro zone business activity has taken a hit in the month of September as countries face a second wave of coronavirus infections, initial data showed Wednesday.
The flash euro zone PMI (purchasing managers’ index) composite index — which measures both manufacturing and services — stood at 50.1, just marginally pushing into expansion territory.
A reading below 50 indicates an economic contraction. This latest preliminary number points to a three-month low in economic activity for the region.
The services sector is in a particularly dire state, the data showed, with activity contracting this month to a four-month low. Manufacturing in the euro zone remained in positive territory and hit a 31-month high.
