UK Data Response CIPS/Markit Report on Services (Jun.) With a sharp rise in June’s CIPS/Markit measure of services activity joining further improvements in the manufacturing and construction surveys, it looks increasingly likely that GDP growth in Q2 will... 3rd July 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CIPS Report on Manuf. (Jun.) & Household Borrowing (May) Today’s figures indicate that the recovery in manufacturing and mortgage lending – hitherto two of the weakest parts of the economy – is gathering steam. 1st July 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Nationwide House Prices (Jun. 13) The Nationwide reported that house prices have continued to drift gently upward, with favourable base effects helping the annual rate of growth to a 2½ year high. But price gains are not accelerating... 28th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response GfK/NOP Consumer Confidence (Jun.) The further slight rise in consumer confidence will raise hopes that the consumer spending recovery could be gathering momentum. But we doubt that any recovery can be sustained while real pay is still... 28th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response National Accounts & Balance of Payments (Q1) The latest GDP revisions show that the UK has further to go in terms of regaining pre-crisis levels of output than previously thought. And although the breakdown of Q1 GDP now looks a bit more... 27th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Public finances (Jun.) The improvement in the public finances in May was due to temporary factors. In any case, with borrowing still so high, the big picture is that years of austerity still lie ahead, as will be underlined... 21st June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Retail Sales (May) Continuing a recent run of good economic news, May’s rise in the official measure of retail sales will have partly reflected the fading drag from the unusually cold weather seen earlier in the year... 20th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response MPC minutes (Jun.) June’s MPC minutes confirmed that the outgoing Governor Mervyn King was outvoted at his final meeting and that appetite on the majority of the Committee for more policy stimulus remains muted. However... 19th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Consumer Prices & Producer Prices (May) May’s rise in inflation confirmed that April’s fall was primarily the result of some temporary factors. That said, the peak is hopefully not too far away now. 18th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Construction Output (Apr.) April’s construction figures are better than they look, given that the data are not seasonally adjusted. On the face of it, they tentatively suggest that construction could help the economic recovery... 14th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Labour Market Data (Apr./May) The recovery in the wider economy already appears to be filtering through to the labour market, although activity is still looking weaker than a few months ago and real pay continues to fall sharply. 12th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response Industrial Production (Apr. 13) While April’s industrial production figures were not as encouraging as recent news on other sectors of the economy, they still suggested that a modest industrial recovery is getting underway. 11th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CIPS/Markit Report on Services (May) With a sharp rise in May’s CIPS/Markit report on services joining improvements in the manufacturing and construction surveys, signs that a recovery in the economy may be taking root are becoming more... 5th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response BRC Retail Sales Monitor (May) Together with last week’s improvement in consumer confidence, May’s stronger growth in the BRC measure of retail sales points to building momentum in the consumer sector. But with employment and... 4th June 2013 · 1 min read
UK Data Response CIPS/Markit Report on Manufacturing (May) & FLS data (Q1) May’s CIPS/Markit report on manufacturing provided a tentative indication that the industrial sector’s recession might be drawing to a close. However, disappointing figures on the usage of the Funding... 3rd June 2013 · 1 min read
