U.S., Europe Economies Taking Diverging Paths

The U.S. economy lagged in July and Europe’s bounced back, according to fresh surveys of purchasing managers, evidence that the two economic powerhouses are recovering at different speeds from the coronavirus pandemic.

In the U.S., output in the service sector shrank for the sixth consecutive month as companies faced a wave of coronavirus cases that prompted new restrictions in several states. Manufacturing output expanded for the first time since February as new orders ticked up. Overall, economic activity in the U.S. was…