Tuesday, German wholesale price inflation accelerated to a 26-year high in May, while French industrial production recovered in April. Manufacturing output in the UK grew slightly in April.
Eurozone
The Federal Statistical Office reported that the German Wholesale Price Index grew at a faster pace of 8.1% year-on-year in May, compared to 7.1% increase expected. The official report showed that this is the highest year-on-year rate of price increase since February 1982, when prices were up 8.5%. On a monthly basis, the wholesale price index rose 1.4%, while economists were looking for a 0.7% increase.
In France, industrial output grew 1.4% month-on-month in April compared with a revised fall of 1% in March. Economists had expected a monthly increase of 0.3%. Meanwhile, manufacturing output rose 1.7% month-on-month, reversing a 1.6% decline in the prior month. Production grew more than the 0.4% expected.
Spanish import prices rose 6.6% year-on-year in April, faster than 6.4% growth recorded in March, the statistical office said. On a monthly basis, import prices increased 1.2%, significantly quicker than the 0.1% rise seen in March. On the other hand, export prices were up 2.7% on an annual basis. Month-on-month, the export price index rose 0.3%.
Italian industrial production rose by seasonally adjusted 0.7% in April from March, the statistical office ISTAT reported. Compared to April 2007, industrial output increased by working day adjusted 2%, while analysts anticipated 1.5% fall. On an unadjusted basis, the index of industrial production posted an annual growth of 8%.
Later, the ISTAT reported that the Italian economy expanded 0.5% sequentially in the first quarter, revised up from 0.4% estimated earlier.
Production in Ireland's manufacturing industries decreased 1.3% year-on-year in April, reversing a 9.2% increase in March, the Statistics Ireland. Similarly, turnover in the Irish manufacturing industry decreased 6.3% year-on-year and 11.8% month-on-month in April.
Cyprus's annual economic growth slowed to 4% in the first three months of the year from 4.3% in the final quarter of last year, the statistical office said. A year ago, the Gross Domestic Product, or GDP, rose 4.5% year-on-year.
Rest of the Europe
UK manufacturing output registered slight growth in April, official data showed. The Office for National Statistics reported that manufacturing production in April increased 0.1% month-on-month, while it was forecast to be flat. In March, manufacturing output declined 0.5%. On an annual basis, manufacturing production rose 0.1%, slower than March's 0.5% growth.
According to the latest survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, house sales in the Great Britain fell to a 30-year low in May. The group reported the average number of transactions for the three-month period to May fell to 17.4 from April's figure of 18.5. It was the lowest number since the survey began in January 1978.
The British Retail Consortium said retail sales in Great Britain recovered in May. The organization said same-store retail sales increased 1.9% when compared to May 2007.
According to the statistical office, Swedish annual inflation increased to 4% in May from 3.4% in April. On a monthly basis, consumer prices climbed 0.4%. The underlying inflation rose to 2.9% from April's 2.4%. The monthly increase was 0.4%. The Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices, or HICP moved up 0.5% from April and has increased 3.9% since May 2007.
Separately, the statistical office said industrial output recorded a monthly fall of 0.3% in April. Production for March decreased 0.3%, revised from 0.1% fall initially estimated. However, production increased 0.2% in April from the previous year, reversing 0.1% fall in March. According to preliminary estimates, new orders dropped 6.8% from March, following a growth of 6.2% in the previous month. At the same time, the total volume of new orders rose 10.1% annually in April compared with 9.4% fall in March.
The Czech statistical office downwardly revised the price, seasonal and working day adjusted first quarter GDP annual growth rate to 5.3% from 5.4% reported on May 15. GDP not adjusted for seasonal and working day effects grew 5.2% year-on-year, revised form 5.4% reported earlier. Meanwhile, the statistical office kept the quarter-on-quarter GDP growth unrevised at 0.9%.
Denmark's annual inflation accelerated to 3.4% in May from 3.2% in April, the Statistics Denmark reported. On a monthly basis, the consumer price index rose 0.3%. Both figures came in line with economists' expectations. Meanwhile, the HICP rose 3.6% year-on-year, faster than 3.4% in April. Compared to the previous month, the HICP rose 0.4%.
Norwegian consumer prices edged up 0.1% in May from the prior month, mainly caused by higher fuel prices, the Statistics Norway said. Annual inflation stood at 3.1%. Core annual inflation was 2.3% for the month of May.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.