The Italian manufacturing sector registered its best performance on record during April, according to the latest PMI® data. Output increased at the third-steepest pace in the series near 23-year history, while growth of new work was the most marked since April 2000, amid reports of strengthening client demand and improved market confidence. Supply delays continued to weigh on the sector during April, however. Most notable was the knock-on effect to costs, as input price inflation accelerated markedly to one of the fastest rates in the series history, with firms increasing their selling prices at a record pace as a ... (full story)