Spanish Services PMI 50.4 49.3 48.5

Italian Services PMI 48.8 49.2 48.7

FTSE100 modestly lower in early deals as airlines tumble

GBP Services PMI 60.5 59.3 60.2

EUR Retail Sales m/m 0.1% 0.5% -0.5%

EUR Revised GDP q/q 0.3% 0.3% 0.3%

British service sector soars in August - PMI

LONDON | Wed Sep 4, 2013 11:07am BST
(Reuters) - A rush of new business last month drove Britain's services sector to its fastest growth rate for more than six years, challenging the Bank of England's cautious outlook for the economy a day before a monetary policy meeting.

Wednesday's Markit/CIPS UK services purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 60.5 in August from 60.2 in July, adding to a run of data suggesting the UK economic recovery is gathering momentum.

FTSE100 firmly lower in midday trade on Syria concerns

CAD Trade Balance -0.9B -0.3B -0.5B

USD Trade Balance -39.1B -38.7B -34.2B

GM to Ford Sales Climb in Best Month for U.S. Since 2007

General Motors Co. (GM), Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) and Ford Motor Co. (F) reported U.S. sales gains for August that exceeded estimates as analysts projected the best month for industry demand in six years.

FTSE100 turns positive by the close as Wall Street rallies