Eurozone business activity rises amid ECB easing

Eurozone businesses ramped up activity this month as the European Central Bank started printing money to spur economic growth, while a slowdown among Chinese factories fuelled expectations of more monetary stimulus.

US manufacturing activity growth also edged up despite a stronger US dollar and the threat of an interest rate rise from the Federal Reserve later this year.

The eurozone Composite Flash Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) from data vendor Markit, based on surveys of thousands of companies and seen as a good growth indicator, jumped to a near- four-year high of 54.1 from February’s 53.3.