Eurozone industrial output up 0.6 percent in July

Eurozone industrial production rose a sharp 0.6 percent in the euro area in July after a 0.6 percent contraction the previous month, official figures showed on Wednesday. The Eurostat data agency figures showed the turnaround to be largely due to a strong increase of 2.4 percent in the production of capital goods. Intermediate goods rose 0.1 percent while durable consumer goods fell 0.5 percent and non-durable consumer goods declined by 0.6 percent. Production of energy dropped 1.2 percent in the same period in the eurozone. Among member states for which figures were available, the highest increases were registered in Lithuania, with a 4.4 percent hike, Britain, up 2.9 percent, and Denmark, up 2.3 percent. The largest falls were in Slovenia, down 2.3 percent, the Netherlands, down 0.8 percent, and Malta, off 0.5 percent. Across the 27-nation European Union, industrial output rose 1.1 percent in July after a 0.8 percent fall in June.