The headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit France Services Business Activity Index registered 55.4 in August, up from 54.9 in July. The latest figure was above the 20-year long-run survey average of 54.7, and signalled a strong overall rate of growth. That said, it was below the marked increases seen throughout most of 2017 and early2018. Unless growth accelerates notably in September, the overall rise in activity in the third quarter is set to be the slowest since Q4 2016.