Euro zone industrial production edged higher by 0.4 per cent in April month-on-month after falling in March for the first time this year, the EU's statistics agency said today.
The April figures from Eurostat, which also showed an annual rise of 0.8 per cent, were better than analysts' expectations of a fall in output in April of 0.4 per cent month-on-month and of 0.6 per cent year-on-year.
The euro zone March monthly decline was revised up slightly to show a dip of 0.7 per cent compared with the 1.2 per cent fall originally reported, Eurostat reported.
The annual April industrial output rise came after an increase of 0.1 per cent year-on-year in March. This was revised up from the earlier reported March yearly figure of a fall of 0.3 per cent.
The European Central Bank last week cut interest rates in an effort to give the stalled euro zone economy a boost but slashed its overall growth forecasts.
The April industrial production figures included month-on-month drops in output in Germany and France, but gains in Spain and Italy.
For the EU as a whole, output rose 0.8 per cent month-on-month and 0.5 per cent on an annual basis.