European market slightly recovers

From a survey carried out by CEMA, the Business Climate Index (CBI) in April increased from -5 points to +2 points (on a scale of -100 to +100).  While the recent recoveries in the general business climate have been driven primarily by improving general turnover expectations, it is meanwhile a significantly improved evaluation of the (still slightly negative) current business.

The overall picture from the survey, that the industry is on the upswing again, is also confirmed by the survey participants’ evaluation of the market side, particularly with a view to the direct customers of the manufacturers, the dealers. Following record-high dealer stocks caused by dealers not being able to pass on all orders to end customers, a significant amount of stock has meanwhile been sold off, resulting in stocks being below the average of the past three years for the first time since the beginning of 2023 across all considered European markets.