"They [the figures] are weaker than what we would like to have seen... it's indicative of the fact that the economy is very definitely losing momentum"
- Peter Dixon, economist at Commerzbank
U.K. service sector output only grew slightly in July from the prior month, according to a Markit survey. The Markit/Cips services purchasing managers' index (PMI) fell to 51 from 51.3 in June, said the company on Friday. Reading above 50.0 indicates industry expansion.
"They [the figures] are weaker than what we would like to have seen... it's indicative of the fact that the economy is very definitely losing momentum," said Commerzbank economist Peter Dixon.
"We're still above 50, that's a positive, but it's not really boding terribly well at this stage for the start of Q3, given what we've already seen from the manufacturing side."
The FTSE 100 Index added 2.21 per cent, or 124.98 points to 5,787.28. The broader FTSE All-Share Index gained 2.16 per cent.
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