A closely-watched survey indicating the rate of growth across the euro zone's manufacturing and services sectors hit a two-month low in March.
The euro zone composite output index compiled by the Markit research firm fell 0.7 points from February to 57.5 in March. Any figure above 50 indicates that activity is expanding.
Markit nevertheless said the latest reading 'signalled an expansion in economic activity for the 20th consecutive month'. It also emphasised that the rate of growth was the second-fastest since July 2007 after a four-and-a-half year high in February.
Manufacturing output growth eased to a three-month low, the survey said, but services business activity rose at the quickest pace since August 2007.
Once again, though, sharp divergences in economic performance could be seen between France and Germany, and the rest.
For the big two, the average rate of output expansion was the fastest in almost five years, but growth elsewhere in the 17-nation currency area was 'only modest and weaker than in February', according to Markit.
