Germany's private sector contracted for the first time in almost a year in April, reflecting the effects of the war in the Middle East, flash survey data from S&P Global revealed Thursday.
The composite output index dropped to a 16-month low of 48.3 in April from 51.9 in the previous month.
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Business News
April 17, 2026 15:29 ET The ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to raise concerns for policymakers who worry about the impact of the supply shock and high energy prices on the real economy. Producer price data and various survey results on the housing market were the main news from the U.S. this week. In Europe, industrial production data for the euro area gained attention. GDP figures out of China and the policy move by the Singapore central bank were in focus in Asia.