Germany's service sector started the third quarter on a robust footing, with business activity growth solid overall and little-changed from June's fourmonth high. Moreover, new business increased at the fastest rate in nine months. The latest survey revealed further marked inflationary pressures, however, as output prices rose at the strongest rate in the survey's 21-year history. The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit Germany Services PMI Business Activity Index registered 54.1 in July, down only fractionally from 54.5 in June. The latest reading signalled a solid overall rise in business activity, albeit one that was marginally weaker than the trend shown over the past year-and-a-half. Service sector activity has risen continuously since June 2013.