PARIS (Reuters) - France posted in June its highest monthly current account surplus since November 2011, giving the euro zone's second-largest economy what was only its third quarterly current account surplus since mid-2007, Bank of France data showed on Wednesday.
A much smaller deficit on goods, a higher surplus on services and stronger investments inflows in France helped lift the current account data to 1.0 billion euros in June, its third positive reading in a row.
While strong foreign sales of cars and military equipment helped France narrow its trade deficit in June to the lowest level since mid-2009, a separate set of data showed last week that industrial production weakened unexpectedly that month.
The mixed picture of the euro zone's second largest economy is expected to be reflected in a slower growth pace in the second quarter than in the first.
Analysts polled by Reuters expected the data to be released on Friday to show that the 2-trillion-euro economy grew by 0.2 percent in the three months to June after a 0.6 percent jump in the first quarter.