TOP NEWS: UK manufacturing sector grows but inflation pressure hots up

(Alliance News) - The UK manufacturing sector strengthened in July, a survey revealed on ...

Alliance News 1 August, 2024 | 8:46AM
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(Alliance News) - The UK manufacturing sector strengthened in July, a survey revealed on Thursday, but rampant inflation is a "blot on the copybook".

The S&P Global UK manufacturing purchasing managers' index rose to a two-and-a-half year high of 52.1 points in July, from June's tally of 50.9. It also topped the flash estimate of 51.8 points.

Climbing further above the 50 neutral mark, the reading suggests growth in the UK manufacturing sector picked up. It is the third-successive month of growth, the best streak since mid-2022, S&P Global added.

"Companies linked output growth to new product launches, efforts to clear backlogs of work and improved intakes of new business. The output recovery at UK factories was underpinned by a pick-up in the rate of new order growth. New business rose for the third month running and to the greatest extent since February 2022. Although improved inflows of new work were mainly the result of strengthening domestic demand, there were also further signs of a possible stabilisation of new export order intakes," S&P Global said

"The latest reduction in new export business was the weakest since the current sequence of contraction started in February 2022."

However, inflationary pressure "continued to build". The pace of cost hikes hit the fastest level in 18 months as prices for items such as metals, packaging, plastics and timber on the up. Energy prices also accelerated.

S&P Global analyst Rob Dobson said: "Inflationary pressures remain a blot on the copybook, with input costs rising to the greatest extent in one-and-a-half years. The ongoing Red Sea crisis and associated freight issues are having a severe impact on prices which are then sustaining a focus on cost-caution and cash flow protection at manufacturers. This is leading to cutbacks in purchasing and a drive to leaner inventory holdings.

"Selling prices are also rising at the quickest rate since mid-2023. Policymakers are likely to take a cautious approach to loosing monetary policy amid these signs that inflationary pressures may be pivoting away from services and towards manufacturing."

The Bank of England announces an interest rate decision at midday. It is expected to lower its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to 5.00% from 5.25%.

The S&P Global survey features a panel of 650 manufacturers, with responses collected in the second half of last month.

On Monday, the services and composite PMI readings for the UK are released.

By Eric Cunha, Alliance News news editor

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

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