Czech April PMI underscores strong economy

...slightly, a survey 
released on Wednesday showed. 
    The PMI index, compiled by ABN AMRO and NTC, edged down to 
56.1 in April from 57.0 a month earlier. 
    The index showed output and new orders continued to expand 
at a sharp rate, though they both eased from March.  
    Firms continued to expand their workforces and input stocks 
at relatively strong rates, confident that market demand would 
remain high, the survey added. 
    The level of new orders received by Czech manufacturers rose 
sharply in April, with the latest data and anecdotal evidence 
pointing to healthy demand from both domestic and export 
markets. 
    However, the rate of growth in total new orders weakened to 
a six-month low. 
    Manufacturing accounts for more than one-third of Czech 
economic activity and the PMI drop is in line with the outlook 
for a gradual slowdown in economic growth to a trend rate of 
some 5 percent from last year's 6.1 percent annual clip. 
 
 FOR A TABLE ON BREAKDOWN, DOUBLE CLICK ON [ID:nPRA001277] 
 FOR AN INSTANT VIEW.......................[ID:nL02223960] 
 FOR HISTORY OF CZECH MANUFACTURING PMI.... 
 FOR GUIDE TO ALL PMI INDICES.............. 
 
 

[PRAGUE/Reuters/Finance.cz]