Mexico's economy picks up in 2015 on strong services

 Mexican economic growth picked up in 2015, on robust expansion in the services sector, according to preliminary figures released by the national statistics agency on Friday.

Growth last year likely reached 2.5 percent, above the 2.4 percent seen by analysts in a Reuters poll and the 2.3 percent growth reached in 2014.

Compared to the prior quarter, growth expanded by around 0.6 percent in the fourth quarter according to preliminary figures, below the 0.8 percent in the third quarter and above the 0.5 percent expected by analysts.

Compared to the same quarter a year ago, growth expanded by 2.5 percent, compared with analysts' expectations for 2.3 percent growth and the 2.6 percent reached in the same period of 2014.