Euro zone economic momentum wanes further in January, PMI shows

BENGALURU, Feb 4 (Reuters) - The euro zone economy's growth slowed for a second consecutive month in January as demand nearly stagnated and hiring came to a halt, indicating a fragile start to 2026, a survey showed.

The HCOB Eurozone Composite Purchasing Managers' Index, compiled by S&P Global, fell ?to 51.3 in January from 51.5 in December, touching a four-month low. The figure was also lower than a ?preliminary estimate of 51.5.

PMI readings above 50.0 indicate growth in activity, while those ?below that level point to a contraction.

"The growth trajectory can ?be described as ?decent, but the situation is still not comfortable. Companies hardly hired any new staff in January," said Cyrus ?de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial ?Bank.

"The fact that new business barely grew also shows that the recovery in this sector is still fragile," he added.

The moderation in ?overall growth stemmed from the services sector, ?where activity ?expanded at its weakest pace since September, offsetting a fresh expansion in manufacturing output.

The services business activity index eased to 51.6 from December's 52.4.

New business ?inflows across the currency bloc barely increased compared with December, signaling waning support from domestic markets despite a softer reduction in export demand.

Employment virtually stagnated as factory job cuts cancelled out mild hiring in services.

Among the bloc's largest economies, Spain led growth despite recording its slowest expansion in seven months. Germany and Italy saw ?modest improvements, ?while France slipped into contraction territory for the first time since October.

Despite the slowdown, business optimism strengthened to its highest level since May 2024.

Price ?pressures built up across the euro zone, with input cost inflation accelerating for a third straight month to an 11-month high. In response, firms raised their prices at the strongest pace in nearly a year.

"The European Central Bank is not currently particularly concerned about inflation...(but) ECB members will be a bit concerned by the significant rise in cost inflation in the services ?sector and the visible increase in sales prices inflation that was signalled by the PMI," added de la Rubia.

The central bank is widely expected to hold its deposit rate on February 5 and through ?this year, a separate Reuters survey showed. (Reporting by Indradip Ghosh; Editing by Joe Bavier)