A March la Italian industrial production it increased by 0,4% compared to February. Istat communicated it this morning. The result is better than the average forecast by analysts, which did not go beyond +0,2%. Production also grew by 4,3% on a trend basis (raw index): in this case it is the highest figure since August 2011.
Average of first quarter 2015, continues the Institute of Statistics, production increased by 0,3% compared to the period October-December 2014.
Fixed for calendar effects, in March the index increased in trend terms by 1,5% (there were 22 working days against 21 in March 2014), while the average for the first three months of the year decreased by 0,1% compared to the same period of the previous year.
The seasonally adjusted index shows positive cyclical changes in the groupings consumer goods (+1,4%) and intermediate goods (+0,3%); instead capital goods (-0,2%) and energy (-0,1%) decreased.
In trend terms, the indices adjusted for calendar effects show increases in compartments energy (+4,8%), consumer goods (+3,5%) and, to a lesser extent, capital goods (+1,4%). Intermediate goods, on the other hand, show a decrease (-2%).
For sectors of economic activity, the sectors recording the greatest trend growth are those of the production of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations (+22,2%), the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products (+15,9%) and the manufacture of means of transport (+13,2%).
The greatest decreases are recorded in the sectors of mining (-9,4%), wood industry, paper and printing (-5,9%) and the manufacture of electrical equipment and non-electrical household equipment ( -5,1%).
