Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 2, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
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France’s final manufacturing PMI edged to 50.1 in February 2026—above the 50 threshold and beating the flash estimate of 49.9—driven by resilient output in autos and aerospace, despite weaker foreign orders and only modest improvement in confidence.
By Sudip Kar-Gupta
PARIS, March 2 (Reuters) - France's manufacturing sector expanded in February, slightly beating initial estimates, helped by solid demand in the cars and aerospace sectors, S&P Global reported on Monday.
The HCOB final France Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for February slipped to 50.1 points from a 43-month high of 51.2 in January.
Nevertheless, it remained above the 50.0 points level indicating growth, and the final February manufacturing PMI beat the flash PMI reading of 49.9 points.
S&P Global said foreign orders in the manufacturing sector had fallen, although factory output had increased and manufacturing companies had a more confident outlook.
"As long as incoming orders in France's manufacturing sector remain in decline, it is premature to declare the downturn in the sector as over. That said, the index for order books is only marginally below the expansion threshold, and significantly better than the average level recorded from 2023 to 2025," said Hamburg Commercial Bank AG junior economist Jonas Feldhusen.
"Confidence among manufacturers appears to be improving. This is partly driven by expectations of rising demand from the public sector," he added.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Toby Chopra)
France's manufacturing PMI for February 2024 was 50.1, indicating sector growth.
Solid demand in the cars and aerospace sectors helped drive France's manufacturing growth.
A PMI above 50 indicates that the manufacturing sector is expanding.
Manufacturers' confidence is improving due to expectations of rising demand from the public sector.
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