Euro Economy Picks Up With Business Index at Four-Year High

An index of euro-area factory and services unexpectedly rose to the highest in more than four years this month as growth gained momentum in Germany and France, the bloc’s two largest economies.

Markit Economics said on Tuesday that its composite index increased to 54.1 from 53.6 in May. That’s above the 50 mark that divides expansion from contraction and exceeds the median estimate of economists, who forecast it would slip to 53.5. France’s gauge of the two industries climbed to the highest since 2011 and growth in Germany also strengthened.