French industrial production rebounded in April, data showed Friday, fuelling recovery hopes in the eurozone’s second-biggest economy.
Industrial output rose 1.2 percent in April, after a 0.4-percent decline the previous month, lifted mostly by gains in transport goods and heavy machinery, statistics bureau Insee said.
The figure was ahead of analysts’ expectations, which had centred on a 0.4-percent increase.
“French industrial production entered the second quarter on a strong footing,” commented Unicredit economist Tullia Bucco.
Manufacturing output alone also recovered, rising 1.3 percent in the month after a 1 percent downturn in March. Production increases in the refining and coking industries slowed in April, as did output in extraction, water and energy.
“At this stage, the main risk to this positive picture is the protracted period of strikes hitting oil refineries and transport services, with a possible negative impact on overall economic activity,” said Unicredit’s Bucco.
The food industry stemmed its decline in output, which dropped by 0.5 percent after a 1.0-percent fall in March.
Italy, the eurozone’s third-biggest economy after Germany and France, also reported rising industrial production on Friday.
Italian output rose 0.5 percent in April after showing no change in March, the Istat statistics agency said.
