As the financial reporting season rolls on, it will be interesting to see what trends emerge.
This week, the giant Finnish Cargotec group reveals positive performance, although it has had to restructure one division to cope with softer markets.
There seems to be plenty of positive sentiment at the moment, but there's also caution as some geographic markets are still struggling, and certain market sectors remain subdued.
Those manufacturers with diverse operations seem to be best equipped to weather the storms and get through challenging times.