Italian industrial production continues to slow down. This was revealed by the estimates of the Confindustria Study Center, according to which production fell by 0,2% in September compared to August. "The qualitative indications - warns the CSC note - do not allow us to glimpse a change of course in the autumn months". On an annual basis, production decreased by 0,4%. In the third quarter of 2014 there was a drop in industrial production of 0,5% on the second.
A situation, that of Italian industry, which seems to get more complicated from month to month, offering a not very reassuring general picture. Also in September, according to Istat, the confidence climate of manufacturing companies fell for the fourth consecutive month (-0,3 points from August, -4,5 from May) with a further worsening of the assessments on order levels ( balance at -27 from -25, down from July).
Still with regard to orders, their volume in September recorded an increase of 0,1% on August and of 1,8% on an annual basis, according to Istat estimates.
The statistical institute also certified that, in the month of August, the producer price index of industrial products remained unchanged compared to the previous month and experienced a decrease of 1,7% on an annual basis. The drop in the energy sector on the domestic market weighs on the trend decline. Among the sectors, the decline in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products stands out.
The prices of products sold on the domestic market remain unchanged compared to July and decrease by 2% on a year-on-year basis. Excluding the energy sector, there was no cyclical change and an increase of 0,2% in trend terms. The prices of goods sold on the foreign market remained stationary compared to the previous month (with a drop of 0,1% for the area euro and a zero change for the non-euro one). In trend terms, a decrease of 0,2% was recorded (with the same decrease for both areas).
