The Italian manufacturing sector saw the greatest improvement in the health of the sector in over two-and-a-half years in November. The modest pick-up reflected healthier order books, bolstered by a renewed pick-up in export sales. Although production volumes increased, the expansion was only fractional, which in turn led firms to maintain a preference for lower headcounts and buying levels. Nevertheless, cost pressures rose at a noticeably stronger rate that was the most pronounced in three years. At 50.6, the HCOB Italy Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ IndexTM (PMI®), a composite single-figure indicator of ... (full story)