MNI DATA PREVIEW: EZ PMIs - No Turnaround In Sight

     LONDON (MNI) - A Gloomy Outlook: After making a disappointing start to Q3 -

with declines in both the manufacturing and services indices - the August PMIs

are not likely to provide any respite. The composite index is projected to edge

down by 0.3 points to 51.2, which would be the lowest reading since January.

Both the Sentix measure of investor sentiment and the Eurozone ZEW expectations

index - which the PMI survey has reasonably close associations with - fell

sharply in August. The survey period for the flash release usually runs between

the 12th of the month and the last working day before the release date.

     Manufacturing In Recession: The Manufacturing PMI has been below the 50

no-change threshold since February. The new orders component fell to its lowest

level since April 2013 in July. The overall sector index is forecast to register

its fourth consecutive decline in August.

     Services Are Holding Up: While service sector conditions remain much

healthier in comparison, last month's drop in the Services PMI left it in line

with its long-run average, suggesting that further growth in the sector will be

insufficient to compensate for the ongoing contraction in manufacturing.

     Big 4 Breakdown: France's manufacturing PMI was the last to fall below the

50-no-change threshold in July, while Germany's PMI remains the weakest among

the Big 4, due to the country's greater external exposure. Both flash PMIs are

expected to fall by 0.2 points in August, indicating a continued industrial

recession. Spain & Italy (for which flash data is not published) saw marginal

gains in their July manufacturing PMIs, although the indices remain in

contraction territory, in contrast to their services counterparts.

     Plenty of Risk-Factors: Unresolved global uncertainties - including trade

tensions, mounting fears of a no-deal Brexit, possible auto tariffs and Italy's

political situation - continue to weigh on economic activity and sentiment.

Looking ahead, any significant turnaround in the Eurozone economy (which grew by

just 0.2% q/q in Q2) appears to be some way off, increasing the urgency for

further policy stimulus from the ECB.

--MNI London Bureau; +44 0203 865 3814; email: irene.prihoda@marketnews.com

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