March saw an abrupt slowdown in business activity growth across the German service sector, the latest PMI® survey results showed. The near-stalling of growth reflected renewed weakness in demand, which was in turn linked by businesses to the fallout from the war in the Middle East. A surge in cost pressures – again linked to the Middle East conflict – was recorded at the end of the first quarter, but this was largely absorbed by firms as average prices charged posted the slowest rise for three months. The headline S&P Global Germany Services PMI® Business Activity Index is based on a single question asking how the ... (full story)