About that...

..."optical backstop"...

ROME, May 2 (Reuters) - Italy's manufacturing sector shrankmore than expected in April as new orders fell at their fastest rate in threeyears, a survey showed on Wednesday, underlining growing pressures on the eurozone's third-largest economy.

The Markit/ADACIpurchasing managers' index (PMI) dropped to 43.8 from 47.9 in March, pointingto the sharpest worsening in business conditions for Italian manufacturerssince October. The index has been below the 50 level separating growth fromcontraction for nine months in a row.