Positive ending for eurozone business year

euEurozone businesses are on course to end the year in positive mode

Growth picked up markedly in the final quarter, making it the strongest quarter for nearly five years, according to the respected Markit survey.

Markit pronounced that it would be a “solid end” to 2015 for the euro bloc.

Manufacturing rose at its fastest rate in 20 months and outpaced growth in the services sector for the first time in more than a year.

Expectations are that growth could be 0.4% during the last three months of the year. This follows 0.3% expansion in the third quarter.

Markit pointed out that it has been the largest increase in business activity for 4.5 years

Employment growth also climbed to its highest rate since May 2011, according to Markit.

The European Central Bank heightened its quantitative easing stimulus programme in December with plans to extend its asset purchase programme to at least March 2017.