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1 Apr 2015
UK PMI hits 8-month high in March
FXStreet (Mumbai) - The seasonally adjusted Markit/CIPS UK Purchasing Manager’s Index rose to an eight-month high of 54.4 in March, ticking higher from 54.0 in February. The actual data beat the estimate of 54.4. The activity expanded for the 24th consecutive month in March.
The inflow of new work saw the steepest gain in July 2014. The strong domestic market remained the principal source of new contract wins. Consumer goods production rose at the fastest pace since last April. Intermediate and investment goods producers also fared well during March. Manufacturing employment increased for the twenty-third consecutive month in March, while outstanding business fell for the thirteenth straight month.
The rate of deflation edged closer to January’s near six-year record. March also saw a substantial decline in average purchase prices. Lower purchasing costs were linked to exchange rate factors and the drop in oil prices earlier in the year. Subsequently, output charges were also lowered.
As per Rob Dobson, Senior Economist at survey compilers Markit, “The UK manufacturing sector has continued its bright start to 2015, with March seeing the headline PMI rise to an eight-month high. The sector is on course for output growth ranging around 0.6% over the opening quarter as a whole, a positive contribution to broader economic expansion and its best performance since the first half of last year.”
The inflow of new work saw the steepest gain in July 2014. The strong domestic market remained the principal source of new contract wins. Consumer goods production rose at the fastest pace since last April. Intermediate and investment goods producers also fared well during March. Manufacturing employment increased for the twenty-third consecutive month in March, while outstanding business fell for the thirteenth straight month.
The rate of deflation edged closer to January’s near six-year record. March also saw a substantial decline in average purchase prices. Lower purchasing costs were linked to exchange rate factors and the drop in oil prices earlier in the year. Subsequently, output charges were also lowered.
As per Rob Dobson, Senior Economist at survey compilers Markit, “The UK manufacturing sector has continued its bright start to 2015, with March seeing the headline PMI rise to an eight-month high. The sector is on course for output growth ranging around 0.6% over the opening quarter as a whole, a positive contribution to broader economic expansion and its best performance since the first half of last year.”