Italian Private Sector Expansion Continues in August

04:03 AM EDT, 09/03/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Italy's private sector expansion picked up in August, as the new business growth rate hit an almost two-and-a-half-year high amid an upward trend for the service sector. The S&P Global Italy Composite PMI Output Index stood at 53.6 in August, up from 52.5 in July, S&P Global said Thursday. The latest figure was the second-highest reading in more than three years. On the services side, the PMI was at a nearly three-and-a-half-year high of 55.2, compared with the previous 52.5 and the expected 53.6.