Industrial production decreased 0.2% in September after edging down 0.1% in August. This was in line with market expectations. The decline in August is smaller than previously reported. In September, manufacturing output moved down 0.1% for a second consecutive monthly decrease; the index for mining fell 2.0%, while the index for utilities rose 1.3 percent. For the third quarter as a whole, total industrial production rose at an annual rate of 1.8%, and manufacturing output increased 2.5%.
A strong gain for motor vehicles and parts contributed substantially to the quarterly increases. At 107.1 percent of its 2012 average, total industrial production in September was 0.4 percent above its year-earlier level. Capacity utilization for the industrial sector fell 0.3 percentage point in September to 77.5 percent, a rate that is 2.6 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2014) average.
Euro is currently being traded around 1.1350 level, Sterling is around 1.5450 area, while Aussie is at 0.7270 level. Later today, Consumer Sentiment figures are scheduled for a release.