AMSTERDAM: Conditions in the Dutch manufacturing sector improved in March, though at a slower pace than in February as inflationary pressures weighed.
The seasonally adjusted headline NEVI Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) was 57.8 in March, index provider Markit said on Monday, down from February’s reading of 58.3, which was a 10-year high. Output prices rose at their highest level since June 2011, driven in part by rising commodity prices. Despite that, the index was well above Markit’s survey average, with new order growth faster than at any time since December 2013. “Manufacturers’ confidence in the future was at a record high with the Dutch economy appearing to be on track to see sustained economic growth in 2017,” said Sam Teague, economist at IHS Markit, in a statement.
