English>

Market News

UK businesses and consumers show signs of recovery in early 2026 - REUTERS

FEBRUARY 20, 2026

By William Schomberg and David Milliken

  • Summary
  • UK composite flash PMI rises to highest since April 2024
  • S&P says its data points to Q1 GDP growth of around 0.3>#/li###
  • January retail sales grow by most in nearly four years
  • Tax revenues beat official forecasts in January
  • BoE still expected to cut rates to 3.5% in March

LONDON, Feb 20 (Reuters) - British businesses extended an early 2026 recovery in February and consumers started the year confidently, data showed on Friday, although companies are still cutting jobs.
The S&P Global UK Composite Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 53.9 in a preliminary report for February from 53.7 in January, the highest level since April 2024, before Prime Minister Keir Starmer's government took office.


SEE HOW MUCH YOU GET IF YOU SELL

NGN
This website uses cookies We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services
Real Time Analytics