By Sudip Kar-Gupta PARIS, March 2 (Reuters) - France's manufacturing sector expanded in February, slightly beating initial estimates, helped by solid demand in the cars and aerospace sectors, S&P
French Manufacturing PMI Expands in February, Exceeds Initial Forecasts
France's Manufacturing Sector Performance in February
By Sudip Kar-Gupta
Overview of PMI Results
PARIS, March 2 (Reuters) - France's manufacturing sector expanded in February, slightly beating initial estimates, helped by solid demand in the cars and aerospace sectors, S&P Global reported on Monday.
PMI Figures and Interpretation
The HCOB final France Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for February slipped to 50.1 points from a 43-month high of 51.2 in January.
Nevertheless, it remained above the 50.0 points level indicating growth, and the final February manufacturing PMI beat the flash PMI reading of 49.9 points.
Sector Insights and Analyst Commentary
Foreign Orders and Output Trends
S&P Global said foreign orders in the manufacturing sector had fallen, although factory output had increased and manufacturing companies had a more confident outlook.
Expert Analysis
"As long as incoming orders in France's manufacturing sector remain in decline, it is premature to declare the downturn in the sector as over. That said, the index for order books is only marginally below the expansion threshold, and significantly better than the average level recorded from 2023 to 2025," said Hamburg Commercial Bank AG junior economist Jonas Feldhusen.
"Confidence among manufacturers appears to be improving. This is partly driven by expectations of rising demand from the public sector," he added.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Toby Chopra)
