Germany's service sector ended the first quarter on a more stable footing, with firms growing increasingly optimistic about the outlook, according to the latest HCOB PMI® survey compiled by S&P Global. There was also sustained job creation amongst service providers amid reports of strategic hiring. Wage pressures continued to drive up businesses' costs, but the rates of inflation in both input prices and output charges slowed noticeably from the month before. The HCOB Germany Services PMI® Business Activity Index came in at 50.1 in March, up from 48.3 in February and registering broadly in line with – but ... (full story)