The start of the second quarter saw a further slowing in the rate of growth in the eurozone manufacturing sector. The final IHS Markit Eurozone Manufacturing PMI fell to a 13-month low of 56.2 in April, down from 56.6 in March and slightly above the earlier flash estimate of 56.0. Although still signalling a solid rate of expansion, the upturn has lost noticeable momentum since the PMI hit a record high in December 2017.