French Manufacturing Output Falls Less Than Forecast In April

French manufacturing production declined less than forecast in April, while industrial production grew unexpectedly, data from the statistical office Insee revealed Monday.

Manufacturing output dropped by 0.7 percent month-on-month, partially offsetting March's 1.4 percent increase. Economists were forecasting a 1.2 percent decrease for April.

Meanwhile, industrial production grew 1.5 percent from a month ago, supported by electricity and gas consumption linked to relatively low temperatures in April. The expansion was in contrast to the expected 0.1 percent drop, and follows 1 percent decrease in March.

Annually, the decline in manufacturing output accelerated to 1.4 percent from 0.4 percent. On the other hand, industrial output rose 0.9 percent, reversing the 1 percent decline seen in March.