23.11.201703:16:00UTC+00France Private Sector Growth At 78-Month High

France's private sector expanded at the fastest pace in six-and-a-half years in November, flash survey data from IHS Markit showed Thursday.

The composite output index rose unexpectedly to 60.1 in November from 57.4 in October. The expected score was 57.2.

The increase in output remained broad-based across both the manufacturing and services sub-sectors.

The services Purchasing Managers' Index climbed to 60.2 in November from 57.3 in the previous month. The reading was forecast to fall to 57.0.

Likewise, the factory PMI came in at 57.5, up from 56.1 a month ago and above the consensus of 55.

"The party goes on for the French private sector economy, with the headline flash composite output PMI hitting a six-and-a-half year high in November, buoyed by a strong demand environment," Alex Gill, an economist at IHS Markit, said.