Eurozone business activity expands at the fastest rate

London

BUSINESS activity in the eurozone has expanded at the fastest rate this year in October, even as firms raise prices at the sharpest rate in more than five years, a survey showed on Monday.

The upturn in both activity and prices will make welcome reading for policymakers at the European Central Bank, who left their ultra-loose policy unchanged last Thursday but kept the door open to more stimulus in December.

IHS Markit's eurozone flash composite Purchasing Managers' Index, seen as a good overall growth indicator, jumped to 53.7 from September's 52.6. It was the highest readin…