Italy manufacturing sector returns to growth in February
#Italy manufacturing #PMI index #Economic growth #Manufacturing sector #HCOB data #Business confidence #Input prices
📌 Key Takeaways
- Italy's manufacturing PMI rose to 50.6 in February, crossing the growth threshold
- Production increased for the first time in three months
- New orders grew modestly after a two-month decline
- Input prices increased at the fastest rate since October 2022
📖 Full Retelling
According to HCOB PMI data released Monday, Italy's manufacturing sector returned to growth in February 2026 after two months of contraction, with the index rising to 50.6 from January's 48.1, marking the first expansion in three months despite ongoing international uncertainty affecting export sales. Italian manufacturers reported renewed growth in both production and new orders during February, with output increasing at one of the strongest rates seen in three years, though still modest overall. Total new orders grew modestly in February, ending a two-month decline, while employment in the sector rose slightly as manufacturers added jobs to support incoming work volumes. The improvement came despite a further decrease in export sales, which fell at the strongest pace in five months, as firms cited raised levels of international uncertainty as a factor weighing on foreign demand. Supply chain conditions improved for a second consecutive month, with delivery times shortening, though input prices increased at a steep pace in February, reaching the most pronounced rate of inflation since October 2022. Business confidence for the year ahead reached its highest level in over five years, with firms expressing hope that economic conditions would improve and citing plans to launch new products and enter new markets.
🏷️ Themes
Economic recovery, Manufacturing growth, International trade
📚 Related People & Topics
Economic growth
Measure of increase in market value of goods
In economics, economic growth is an increase in the quantity and quality of the economic goods and services that a society produces. It can be measured as the increase in the inflation-adjusted output of an economy in a given year or over a period of time. The rate of growth is typically calculated ...
Secondary sector
Manufacturing and construction industries
In economics, the secondary sector is the economic sector which comprises manufacturing, encompassing industries that produce a finished, usable product or are involved in construction. This sector generally takes the output of the primary sector (i.e. raw materials like metals, wood) and creates fi...
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Original Source
try{ var _=i o; . if(!_||_&&typeof _==="object"&&_.expiry Oil prices surge after U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran; crude around $80/bbl likely Futures drop, oil spikes amid widening Mideast conflict - what’s moving markets Gold prices jump 2% amid widening US-Israel conflict with Iran Asia stocks slide as US-Iran strikes batter risk appetite (South Africa Philippines Nigeria) Italy manufacturing sector returns to growth in February By Investing.com Editor Maria Ponnezhath Economic Indicators Editor Maria Ponnezhath Published 03/02/2026, 04:38 AM Italy manufacturing sector returns to growth in February 0 Investing.com -- Italy’s manufacturing sector returned to growth in February after two months of contraction, according to the latest HCOB PMI data released Monday. The HCOB Italy Manufacturing PMI rose to 50.6 in February from 48.1 in January, moving above the 50.0 threshold that separates growth from contraction. The improvement marked the first expansion in operating conditions in three months. Italian manufacturers reported renewed growth in both production and new orders during February. Output increased for the first time in three months, with the rate of expansion among the strongest seen in three years, though still modest overall. Total new orders grew modestly in February, ending a two-month decline. The improvement came despite a further decrease in export sales, which fell at the strongest pace in five months. Firms cited raised levels of international uncertainty as a factor weighing on foreign demand. Employment in the sector rose slightly during the month as manufacturers added jobs to support incoming work volumes. Some firms reported instances of voluntary staff departures. Outstanding orders declined at a solid pace as companies worked through backlogs. Italian manufacturers reduced input buying in February, though the decrease was among the weakest seen in the past 18 months. Stocks of purchases remained broadly unchanged during the month. Supply chain ...
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