The French manufacturing sector purchasing managers' index rose to a seasonally adjusted 52.2 in February from 50.7 in January, according to market sources A consensus forecast economists showed they expected a February level of 51.4 A reading above 50 indicates that the manufacturing sector is generally expanding, while a reading below 50 suggests that it is generally contracting The index is based on a questionnaire sent to purchasing managers in around 450 companies by purchasing managers' assocation CDAF