Euro zone business growth in the doldrums

Growth in the Euro zone has been weaker than any forecaster predicted for November and orders are down for the first time in over a year.

Analysts see this as an indication of stagnation in the economy.

The Purchasing Managers Index is based on surveys of thousands of companies and is seen a reliable method to plot growth or otherwise.

Those indicators, which look beyond the present see no signs of any tangible improvement down the line.