- UK Manufacturing PMI rose to 47.1 in February, missing estimates of 47.5.
- Services PMI in the UK held steady at 54.3 in February, a positive surprise.
- GBP/USD holds gains near 1.2700 after mixed UK business PMIs.
The seasonally adjusted S&P Global/CIPS UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) improved slightly from 47.0 in January to 47.1 in February, below the market consensus of 47.5.
Meanwhile, the Preliminary UK Services Business Activity Index stayed unchanged at 54.3 in February, beating the consensus forecast of 54.1.
Commenting on the flash PMI data, Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence said: “UK economic growth has accelerated in February, with the early PMI survey data pointing to the largest rise in business activity for nine months. This is by no means a one-off improvement, as faster growth has now been recorded for four straight months after a brief spell of decline late last year.”
“The survey data point to the economy growing at a quarterly rate of 0.2-3% in the first quarter of 2024, allaying fears that last year's downturn will have spilled over into 2024 and suggesting that the UK’s ‘recession’ is already over,” Chris added.
FX implications
GBP/USD is consolidating the latest uptick to 1.2710 following the mixed UK PMI data. The pair is currently trading at 1.2692, adding 0.46% so far.
Pound Sterling price today
The table below shows the percentage change of Pound Sterling (GBP) against listed major currencies today. Pound Sterling was the strongest against the US Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | CAD | AUD | JPY | NZD | CHF | |
| USD | -0.31% | -0.32% | -0.36% | -0.43% | -0.06% | -0.38% | -0.28% | |
| EUR | 0.29% | -0.04% | -0.08% | -0.15% | 0.22% | -0.09% | 0.01% | |
| GBP | 0.32% | 0.02% | -0.04% | -0.11% | 0.27% | -0.04% | 0.04% | |
| CAD | 0.33% | 0.06% | 0.04% | -0.07% | 0.31% | 0.00% | 0.12% | |
| AUD | 0.42% | 0.12% | 0.10% | 0.05% | 0.37% | 0.06% | 0.13% | |
| JPY | 0.07% | -0.24% | -0.30% | -0.30% | -0.39% | -0.32% | -0.18% | |
| NZD | 0.38% | 0.07% | 0.03% | 0.00% | -0.06% | 0.31% | 0.11% | |
| CHF | 0.25% | -0.05% | -0.07% | -0.12% | -0.18% | 0.20% | -0.11% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Euro from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent EUR (base)/JPY (quote).
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD trades deep in red below 1.0300 after strong US jobs report
EUR/USD stays under bearish pressure and trades below 1.0300 in the American session on Friday. The US Dollar benefits from the upbeat jobs report, which showed an increase of 256,000 in Nonfarm Payrolls, and forces the pair to stay on the back foot heading into the weekend.
GBP/USD drops toward 1.2200 on broad USD demand
GBP/USD extends its weekly slide and trades at its weakest level since November 2023 below 1.2250. The data from the US showed that Nonfarm Payrolls rose by 256,000 in December, fuelling a US Dollar rally and weighing on the pair.
Gold ignores upbeat US data, approaches $2,700
Following a drop toward $2,660 with the immediate reaction to strong US employment data for December, Gold regained its traction and climbed towards $2,700. The risk-averse market atmosphere seems to be supporting XAU/USD despite renewed USD strength.
Sui bulls eyes for a new all-time high of $6.35
Sui price recovers most of its weekly losses and trades around $5.06 at the time of writing on Friday. On-chain metrics hint at a rally ahead as SUI’s long-to-short ratio reaches the highest level in over a month, and open interest is also rising.
Think ahead: Mixed inflation data
Core CPI data from the US next week could ease concerns about prolonged elevated inflation while in Central and Eastern Europe, inflation readings look set to remain high.
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads
VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.