Bank of France keeps Q2 French GDP growth forecast at 0.5 pct
PARIS, July 10 (Reuters) - The Bank of France said on Monday it maintained its forecast for French second-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 0.5 percent and predicted a pickup in the industrial, services and construction sectors for July.
The central bank's manufacturing business climate survey gave a reading of 103 points in June, down slightly from a revised 104 points in May.
This reflected a dip in activity in the automotive and plastic manufacturing industries, the bank said, adding that industrial production was poised to rise more sharply in July.
The business climate indicator for the services sector stood at 100 points in June, matching May's revised reading.
The construction industry indicator rose to 103 points in June from 102 in May - its highest level since May 2011.
Earlier this month, Bank of France head Francois Villeroy de Galhau forecast overall French economic growth of 1.6 percent for this year.
(Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta; Editing by Laurence Frost)
