Release Explanation: Measures the activity level of Purchase Managers, they are surveyed on production, employment, inventories, orders, delivery data. The PMI is split into reads on Manufacturing, Service, and Construction industries. A read over 50 denotes growth. As an indicator of economic performance the PMI has the ability to easily affect currency valuations as Institutions re-align existing positions, or build new, on the strength of these reports.
Trade Desk Thoughts: The service side of the economy in the Euro-area has been in contraction for the last sixth months according to the latest PMI release. The released number of 42.5 represents a multi-year low as the economy is struggling to show any signs of growth amid the global slowdown. The release puts additional pressure on the ECB to cut interest rates tomorrow as both the service and manufacturing sectors are contracting at a fast pace.
Forex Technical Reaction: The Euro traded just above the neutral pivot point (1.2685), but before the release the pair plunged 80 pips.