Activity across the UK’s private sector has grown steadily this month, providing further signs that the economy has climbed out the brief recession experienced last year.
The S&P Global/CIPS flash UK purchasing managers’ index (PMI) reported a reading of 52.9 in March, down slightly from 53.0 in February.
The slump in UK manufacturing has reached its bottom and output is starting to recover, according to a survey by the CBI.
Hargreaves Lansdown says UK fund managers are seeing a “material boost” from bumper share buybacks.
Retail sales in Britain have started to stabilise after ten consecutive months of decline, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Sales volumes rose by 2% in the year to March, from a weighted balance of -7% in the year to February.
Nevertheless, more than two thirds of British small business leaders believe that the Tories have lost the trust of the business community, according to a new poll by Opinium. The survey also found that 60% of small-scale entrepreneurs think that the last few years of chaotic government have damaged their businesses.
We’ll see how far the unrest has spread at the general election.
Enjoy your Easter break.