In January, the Eurozone's private sector activity expanded for the eighth consecutive month, but rising services inflation poses challenges for the European Central Bank's interest-rate strategy. The composite PMI remained at 51.5, slightly below expectations, indicating fragile growth. While services activity is expanding, it shows signs of cooling, and manufacturing continues to struggle. Inflation in the services sector has increased significantly, raising concerns for policymakers. Business confidence improved, with optimism reaching a 20-month high, but diverging trends are evident between Germany and France, with Germany showing growth and France slipping back into contraction. Teljes cikk (Euronews.com)