French business activity slows in April

By Paul Hannon
French private sector activity slowed in April, with service providers and manufacturers reporting only slight increases in output                                        
The preliminary Purchasing Manager's Indexes for France compiled by data firm Markit showed the composite PMI, which measures activity across both the manufacturing and services sectors, fell to 50.5 from 51.8 in March
A reading above 50 indicates month-to-month expansion in activity                                        
The slowdown was broad based, as the services PMI fell to 50.3 from 51.5 in March, while the manufacturing PMI fell to 50.9 from 52.1
 Both sector performances were weaker than forecast                                        
"The nascent recovery in French private sector output lost momentum in April," said Jack Kennedy, Markit's senior economist