Activity in Sweden's services sector picked up in March with the purchasing managers index (PMI) increasing to 53.9 points from an upwardly revised 51.2 points the previous month, data by compilers Silf/Swedbank showed on Thursday.

It was the fourth month in a row the index was above 50 points, seen as the dividing line between expansion and contraction.

The composite index of the service and manufacturing sectors rose to 52.8 points from 50.6 points the previous month. (Reporting by Simon Johnson, editing by Stine Jacobsen)