BERLIN:  Growth in Germany’s private sector slowed in February from a month earlier but is still on track for solid expansion in the first quarter, a survey showed on Monday.

Markit’s final composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which tracks the activity in manufacturing and services that together account for more than two-thirds of the economy, eased to 57.6 in February from 59.0 in January, reaching a three-month low.

The reading compared with the flash composite reading of 57.4.

Service providers took their most optimistic view of the outlook for business activity in seven years.

A sub-index monitoring the services sector fell to 55.3 in February, also hitting a three-month low.

Markit economist Phil Smith said two first two months of 2018, taken together, had seen a faster average rate of private- sector growth than the final quarter of 2017.

“Although Germany’s Composite PMI pulled back from January’s near seven-year high, the private sector remains on course for another robust expansion in the first quarter of 2018,” he said.