The seasonally adjusted Markit Flash Germany Composite Output Index dropped from 51.6 in March to 50.9 in April, signalling the slowest expansion of private sector business activity for five months. The latest reading was just above the 50.0 no-change mark, thereby indicating only a marginal rise in output levels. In conjunction with April data pointed to divergent trends between the manufacturing and service sectors. The latter showed some resilience, with business activity rising at a modest pace that was fractionally faster than in March. Manufacturers meanwhile posted a drop in production for the first time in ... (full story)