Manufacturing conditions in Italy worsened in October, as a sharp reduction in new orders led to a further decline in output. In addition to falling total new work, export sales slipped into negative territory. On the price front, input prices rose at a sharp pace, but charges increased at a slower rate. The headline IHS Markit Italy Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) registered 49.2 during October to signal a slight deterioration in overall business conditions. Down from 50.0 in September, the index was below the critical 50.0 mark for the first time since August 2016 and at its lowest overall level for 46 months.