Europe just unloaded a slew of manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) data. These are the numbers derived from surveys of businesses. Anything above 50 signals growth, and anything below signals contraction. "July saw the Eurozone Manufacturing PMI hold steady at June's seven-month low of 51.8, as the ongoing expansions in Germany and outside of the big-two economies were partly offset by a deeper downturn in French manufacturers." Here's a quick summary of what we learned in July: UK (55.4 in July, down from the flash estimate of 57.2): "The UK manufacturing sector started the third quarter on a firm footing," said Markit's Rob Dobson.