The downturn in the German economy eased slightly in March as business activity in the country’s service sector came close to stabilising, the latest HCOB ‘flash’ PMI® survey compiled by S&P Global showed. Business confidence towards future activity meanwhile continued to improve steadily, reaching its highest level for nearly a year. However, despite a more optimistic outlook, latest data showed a renewed – albeit slight – decline in employment. Inflationary pressures meanwhile eased across the German private sector at the end of the first quarter, with the survey showing slowdowns in the rates of increase in both ... (full story)