The latest data reveals that the UK’s private sector experienced stronger expansion than initially estimated in the previous month, sparking optimism amidst expectations of easing inflation and potential interest rate cuts, paving the way for enhanced economic growth.
According to the final composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) jointly released by S&P Global and the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS), January witnessed a notable increase to 52.9 from December’s 52.1, surpassing initial projections of 52.5.
This marks the third consecutive month that the composite reading has remained above the pivotal 50-point threshold, indicating expansion rather than contraction. The services sector, in particular, saw a significant uptick, reaching 54.3 in January compared to December’s 53.4, outstripping the initial estimate of 53.8. However, manufacturing activity continued its downward trajectory.
Buoyed by expectations of a brighter economic landscape, both households and businesses have shown renewed spending enthusiasm, leading to a surge in recruitment activities among companies. The Bank of England is anticipated to implement multiple interest rate cuts throughout the year, aiming to mitigate the impact of a 16-year high base interest rate of 5.25 per cent, amidst a backdrop of decreasing inflation.
Commenting on the data, S&P Global and the institute noted a positive shift in private sector employment, with service-oriented industries witnessing growth, counterbalancing job losses in manufacturing.
Despite the optimism, challenges persist, with Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey cautioning that the pace of interest rate adjustments may not align with market expectations due to lingering underlying price pressures.
Moreover, while the PMI measure of business cost inflation exhibited a decline, indicating a slower pace of price hikes, uncertainty looms regarding the UK’s economic performance, with concerns about a potential recession following a contraction of 0.1 per cent in GDP during the third quarter of the previous year.
Nevertheless, analysts such as Samuel Tombs from Pantheon Macroeconomics remain optimistic, interpreting January’s PMI data as a positive indicator of the UK’s rapid recovery from a probable recession in the latter half of the previous year.
Meanwhile, in the Eurozone, signs of a nascent recovery in private sector output are emerging, albeit with mixed results across member states. Germany, in particular, experienced a decline in its composite reading, driven by a weakened services sector performance, prompting concerns about the nation’s economic trajectory in the early stages of the new year.
