Before the Bell: All eyes are on UK retail sales and PMI numbers today February 19, 2021 Sentiment in stocks this week has been slowly eroded as the bullish mood that circulated on Monday has since turned a little bearish. At the start of the week, the outlook was upbeat on account of optimism connected to the vaccine rollout. The UK confirmed that it was on track with its vaccination distribution scheme [...]
ONS: Pandemic impact cuts through all major sectors February 12, 2021 The ONS published sector figures for services, trade, construction and production output this morning. Services The Index of Services grew by 1.7 per cent between November and December last year. The largest contribution to monthly growth was accommodation and food service activities, rising by more than 25 per cent. In December, the Index of Services [...]
The Week Ahead: Look out for GDP data, Ocado, AstraZ, Twitter and Ted Baker February 8, 2021 Start your week informed: here are the announcements and results to look out for this week. UK GDP: A double dip recession is looming After a fairly decent third quarter, and an expansion of 16 per cent, the UK economy has had a much more troubled fourth quarter, with the likelihood that we may well [...]
UK PMIs: Construction activity contracts for the first time since May February 4, 2021 Construction output declined for the first time in eight months in January as lockdown measures and near-term economic concerns led to hesitancy among clients. The IHS Markit/Cips purchasing managers (PMI) index for construction scored 49.2 in January, with any score below the 50-mark indicating contraction. The reading was a sharp drop from December, when a score of [...]
UK PMIs: Services activity plunges to lowest level since May February 3, 2021 UK services activity fell to its lowest levels since last May as stricter coronavirus lockdowns battered the country’s businesses. The IHS Markit/Cips purchasing managers (PMI) index for services registered 39.4 in January, with any score below the 50 mark indicating contraction. That’s more than a 10 point drop from last month’s reading, one of the biggest falls [...]
UK PMIs: Manufacturing activity slows in January as export orders shrink February 1, 2021 Manufacturing growth slowed its lowest rate in three months in January as Covid-19 and Brexit weighed upon export orders. The IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 54.1 last month, down from 57.5 in December. Any reading above 50 designates growth. However, the score was higher than analyst estimates of a score of 52.9. The [...]
This Week: PMIs, Morrisons, Next, US unemployment, Fed, M&S January 4, 2021 City A.M. looks at the first business week of 2021 with Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK. Monday: UK PMIs for December Flash numbers in the middle of December were surprisingly encouraging, with manufacturing rising to 57.3. “No doubt due to some pre-Brexit stockpiling. services also managed to rebound a touch, coming [...]
UK construction industry sees biggest rise in orders since 2014 – PMI December 4, 2020 By David Milliken LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s construction industry grew faster than expected last month, boosted by the strongest orders since 2014 amid a boom in house prices, a survey showed on Friday. The IHS Markit/CIPS construction Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 54.7 in November from 53.1 in October, its strongest since July and [...]
UK business activity shrinks as fresh lockdown hits services sector November 23, 2020 UK business activity contracted this month as the rollout of fresh lockdown measures took its toll on the services sector. The IHS Markit/CIPS UK Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dropped to 47.4 in November, according to initial readings, down from 52.1 in October. The figures represent a five-month low and the first time since June [...]
Eurozone business activity shrink sharply in November as lockdowns bite November 23, 2020 Eurozone business activity shrink sharply in November as lockdowns bite