Euro zone manufacturing activity slowed slightly in February, according to Markit's purchasing managers index (PMI).
The reading came in at 53.2. A figure above 50 indicates that manufacturing has expanded.
Initial flash figures suggested that the index dipped to 53.0 from 54.0 in January. Despite the dip, there was positive news in the currency bloc's four biggest economies: Germany; France; Spain and Italy all recording a rise.
(Read more: Euro zone business recovery loses steam)
"The dip in the manufacturing PMI, its first fall for five months, is a disappointment and a reminder of the hesitant nature of the region's nascent recovery," Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit, said in a statement.
"However, we should not lose sight of the fact that this is the second-strongest reading that the euro zone has seen for almost three years."