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Global PMI Growth Cools in December as Services Outrun Sputtering Factories

Central banks face a slower expansion with mixed price signals heading into 2026.

The skyline with the banking district is seen during sunset in Frankfurt, Germany, February 27, 2024.  REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/File Photo
Vehicles enter the Congestion Relief Zone at the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge on the first day of New York City’s planned congestion pricing program to charge drivers for entering the central business district in Manhattan below 60th street in New York City, U.S., January 5, 2025. REUTERS/Adam Gray
A worker works on a rail component inside a manufacturing unit of Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd. (TRSL) in Uttarpara, India, June 18, 2025. REUTERS/Sahiba Chawdhary/File Photo
People walk through the City of London business district as Britain’s Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces tough financial decisions ahead of her second budget statement next week, in London, Britain, November 21, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Overview

  • India’s flash composite PMI slipped to 58.9, a 10‑month low, as new orders cooled, hiring stalled and price pressures stayed muted, with manufacturing at 55.7 and services at 59.1.
  • Australia’s composite eased to 51.1, the weakest in seven months, with services at 51.0 and manufacturing at 52.2 as firms kept hiring and input and output prices accelerated again.
  • Japan’s composite registered 51.5, with services at 52.5 and manufacturing at 49.7, while staffing rose at the fastest pace since May 2024 and firms reported stronger cost pressures.
  • Germany’s composite fell to 51.5 with manufacturing deeper in contraction at 47.7, services at 52.6, slowing new business and softer confidence, while euro zone growth cooled to a 51.9 composite as factory output shrank and services eased.
  • Policy takeaways skew cautious as RBA signals restrictive settings, BOJ is expected to move gradually on normalization, and a Reuters survey points to the ECB staying on hold for an extended period.