Germany's booming manufacturing sector grew at a slightly slower rate in February, according to the latest PMI survey data from IHS Markit and BME, with reports of supply-chain bottlenecks helping drive up costs and prices charged at the factory gate.

The headline IHS Markit/BME Germany Manufacturing PMI - a single-figure snapshot of the performance of the manufacturing economy - dipped to 60.6 in February, from January's 61.1. The latest reading was well above the 50.0 nochange mark, indicating another month of strong growth within the sector. However, since reaching a record-high at the end of 2017, the PMI has retreated for two consecutive months, down to its lowest level since last October.