Oct Result: -1.14 Sep Result: -0.57 Aug Result: -0.46 Jly Result: -0.37 Jun Result: -0.03 -- BRUSSELS (MktNews) - The European Commission's Business Climate Indicator (BCI) fell by the steepest margin ever in October, dropping to its lowest level since July 1996, the Commission said Wednesday. It was the eighth consecutive monthly fall for the index, which dropped to -1.14 in October from -0.57 in September. In October 2000, the index stood at +1.37. "This steepest fall ever, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the United States, points to depressed confidence of industrial firms in the euro area," the Commission release said. "If confirmed in the next release, the rapid deterioration in the business climate would suggest weak growth in industrial production in the near term."