Business activity across the euro zone accelerated in November to its fastest growth rate this year, according to a survey.
The initial estimate of the purchasing managers index for the 19-country bloc, compiled by IHS Markit and released Wednesday, rose to 54.1 points from 53.3 in October.
The figure is on a 100-point scale, with the 50 threshold separating growth from contraction.
Details from the index, which measures the services and manufacturing sectors, show companies' order books are growing, prompting them to hire more and charge slightly higher prices.
Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit, said there were "plenty of signs that growth will continue to accelerate".
He said the survey pointed to quarterly economic growth of 0.4 per cent, with a good performance in Germany and France, the euro zone's biggest economies.
