Services activity in the 15 countries sharing the euro contracted in
September although not by as much as first estimated, according to a
survey on Friday.

BRUSSELS, September 3, 2008 (AFP) - Business activity in the 15 nations sharing the euro contracted for the third month running in August, although the slowdown moderated slightly, according to a survey on Wednesday.

BRUSSELS, September 1, 2008 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the 15 countries sharing the euro picked up slightly in August, snapping a recent steady decline in the figures, according to a survey published Monday.

BRUSSELS, August 1, 2008 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the 15 countries sharing the euro retreated in July at the fastest pace in more than five years, said a survey released on Friday.

NEW YORK, July 31, 2008 (AFP) - Philip Morris International said Thursday it has struck a friendly matchup with Canadian tobacco company Rothmans Inc. in a two billion Canadian dollar (1.9 billion) takeover deal.

PMI, the global cigarette maker and distributor of leading brand Marlboro, already owns a 40 percent stake in Rothmans, Benson & Hedges (RBH).

BRUSSELS, July 24, 2008 (AFP) - Eurozone business activity contracted more sharply than expected in July, hitting the lowest level since just after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, a key survey showed on Thursday.

BRUSSELS, July 3, 2008 (AFP) - Business activity in the 15 countries sharing the euro contracted slightly faster in June than first estimated, a survey indicated on Thursday.

The eurozone's purchasing managers' index (PMI), compiled by data and research group Markit, slid to 49.3 points in June from 51.1 in May, worse than an initial estimate of 49.5.

BRUSSELS, July 3, 2008 (AFP) - Business activity in the 15 countries sharing the euro contracted slightly faster in June than first estimated, a survey indicated on Thursday.

The eurozone's purchasing managers' index (PMI), compiled by data and research group Markit, slid to 49.3 points in June from 51.1 in May, worse than an initial estimate of 49.5.

BRUSSELS, July 1, 2008 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the 15 countries sharing the euro contracted in June for the first time for three years, according to a survey on Tuesday.

BRUSSELS, June 4, 2008 (AFP) - Business activity in the 15 nations sharing the euro slumped to the lowest level since July 2003, according to a widely watched survey on Wednesday.

NTC Economic's eurozone's purchasing managers' index (PMI) pulled back to 51.1 points in May from 51.9 in April, confirming an initial estimate.

BRUSSELS, June 2, 2008 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the 15 countries using the euro slipped to the lowest rate for almost three years in May, with new orders continuing to fall, a survey showed Monday.

The NTC Research's purchasing managers index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector fell to 50.6 in May, a bigger drop than expected and the lowest reading since August 2005.

BRUSSELS, May 23, 2008 (AFP) - Business activity in the 15 nations sharing the euro slowed in May to a 58-month low, due in part to the first drop in new business recorded since mid-2003, according to a widely watched survey released Friday.

BRUSSELS, May 23, 2008 (AFP) - Business activity in the 15 nations sharing the euro slowed in May to a 58-month low, due in part to the first drop in new business recorded since mid-2003, according to a widely watched survey released on Friday.

BRUSSELS, May 6, 2008 (AFP) - Activity in the vast services sector of the 15 nations sharing the euro improved more than expected in April, according to a survey on Tuesday, offering an increasingly rare ray of light for the eurozone economy.

BRUSSELS, May 2, 2008 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the 15 countries sharing the euro slumped more than expected on April, tumbling to the lowest in nearly three years, a survey showed on Friday.

BRUSSELS, April 23, 2008 (AFP) - Eurozone business activity improved unexpectedly in April, according to a survey on Wednesday, although analysts warned that the economy was in the midst of a 'moderate slowdown.'

Provisional results for NTC Research's survey of business leaders in the 15-nation eurozone nudged up to 51.9 points in April from 51.8 points in March.

BRUSSELS, April 3, 2008 (AFP) - Business activity in the 15 nations sharing the euro slowed in March despite diverging trends among the bloc's bigger members, according to a widely watched survey on Thursday.

BRUSSELS, April 1, 2008 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the 15 nations sharing the euro slowed in March to the lowest level since October, according to final results from a widely watched survey.

The NTC Research's purchasing managers index (PMI) for the manufacturing sector eased to 52.0 points from 52.3 points in February, in line with a provisional estimate.

BRUSSELS, March 5, 2008 (AFP) - Service sector activity in the 15 nations sharing the euro bounced back in February from a four-and-a-half year low in January, according to a survey of business leaders published Wednesday.

BRUSSELS, March 3, 2008 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the 15 nations sharing the euro slowed in February despite wide variations among some countries, a survey showed on Monday.

The eurozone's purchasing managers index (PMI), compiled by NTC Research, fell to 52.3 points in February from 52.8 in January and was unchanged from a first estimate.

BRUSSELS, Feb 22, 2008 (AFP) - Eurozone business activity improved unexpectedly in February, according to a survey on Friday, although analysts warned that the economy was still losing momentum.

BRUSSELS, Feb 5, 2008 (AFP) - A service sector slump in January plunged business activity in the nations sharing the euro to the lowest level in over three years, a widely watched survey showed Wednesday.

An NTC Research survey of business leaders fell to 51.8 points in January from 53.3 points in December for the lowest reading since November 2004.

BRUSSELS, Feb 1, 2008 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the 15-nation eurozone grew by slightly more than expected in January but with wide national variations suggesting 'not all is well,' a survey showed Friday.

FRANKFURT, Feb 1, 2008 (AFP) - The German purchasing managers' index for manufacturing rose to 54.4 points in January from 53.6 points the previous month, coming in higher than expected, market sources said Friday.

Economists polled by Thomson Financial News had forecast the index would decline to 53.1 points.

BRUSSELS, Jan 23, 2008 (AFP) - Business activity in the 15 nations sharing the euro slowed to a 31-month low in January amid growing signs of economic weakness, a widely watched survey showed Wednesday.

An NTC Research survey of business leaders fell to 52.7 points in January, down from 53.3 points in December.

BRUSSELS, Jan 4, 2008 (AFP) - Service sector growth among the countries sharing the euro slowed to a two-and-a-half-year low in December, weighed down by uncertainty in financial markets, according to a survey published Friday.

BRUSSELS, Jan 2, 2008 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the eurozone rose slightly more than initially thought in December while remaining under pressure from the credit crunch and the strong euro, figures released Wednesday showed.

The eurozone's seasonally adjusted purchasing managers' index (PMI), compiled by NTC Research, stood at 52.6 in December.

BRUSSELS, Dec 17, 2007 (AFP) - Business activity in the 13-nations sharing the euro slowed more than expected in December, hitting the lowest level in 28 months due to weakness in the service sector, a survey showed Monday.

BRUSSELS, Nov 23, 2007 (AFP) - Business activity in the 13-nations sharing the euro slowed to the lowest level in 27 months driven by weakness in the services sector, according to a survey on Friday.

First results for NTC Research's survey of business leaders fell to 53.8 points in November, down from 54.7 points in October, touching the lowest level since August 2005.

BRUSSELS, Nov 6, 2007 (AFP) - Service sector activity in the 13 nations sharing the euro recovered more than expected in October although the outlook darkened, according to a survey on Tuesday.

BRUSSELS, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the 13-nation eurozone slowed in October to a two-year low amid a surging euro and record oil prices, according to a survey released Wednesday.

The eurozone's seasonally adjusted purchasing managers' index (PMI), compiled by NTC Research, fell in October to 51.5 in October from 53.2 in September, the lowest level since August 2005. Markets had been looking for a limited decline to around 52.9.

BRUSSELS, Oct 1, 2007 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the 13-nation eurozone slowed in September to nearly a two-year low amid a surging euro, record oil prices and shaky credit markets, according to a survey on Monday.

The eurozone's seasonally adjusted purchasing managers' index (PMI), compiled by NTC Research, fell in September to 53.2 points from 54.3 in August, unchanged from a provisional estimate.

BRUSSELS, Sept 5, 2007 (AFP) - Service sector activity in the 13 nations sharing the euro slowed only marginally in August but optimism about future business sank to a four and a half year low, according to a survey on Wednesday.

The eurozone purchasing managers index (PMI) for the service sector, compiled by the research group NTC Economics, fell to 58.0 points in August from 58.3 in July, slightly above a provisional estimate of 57.9.

BRUSSELS, Sept 3, 2007 (AFP) - Manufacturing activity in the 13-nation eurozone lost momentum in August as a strong euro, firm oil prices and rising interest rates took their toll on the sector, according to a survey on Monday.

The eurozone's seasonally adjusted purchasing managers' index (PMI), compiled by NTC Research, eased in August to 54.3 points from 54.9 in July, beating a provisional estimate of 54.2 points.

BRUSSELS, Aug 24, 2007 (AFP) - Manufacturing and service sector activity in the 13-nations sharing the euro softened only marginally in August despite concerns of a credit crunch in financial markets, according to a survey on Friday.

First results for NTC Research's survey of business leaders showed a dip to a three-month low of 57.2 points in August, down from 57.5 points in July but still solidly above the 50-point level that indicates expansion.