2025.08.2108:54:37UTC+00UK Composite PMI Rises to 1-Year High

In August 2025, the UK's S&P Global Composite PMI climbed to 53, an increase from July's 51.5, surpassing forecasts that predicted a slight rise to 51.6. This marks the fastest growth in private-sector business activity over the past year, as indicated by preliminary estimates. The expansion was largely driven by the services sector, which reached a one-year peak, climbing to 53.6 from July's 51.8. This increase helped counterbalance a more pronounced contraction in service providers, which fell to 47.3 from 48. The robust performance of the services sector contributed to the highest increase in total new business volumes since last October, although manufacturing faced significant declines in new orders. This downturn for factories was attributed to rising input costs and a global shift towards protectionism in goods trade. Input inflation reached its highest point since May, primarily due to companies grappling with increased National Insurance payments and their subsequent impact on labor expenses. Looking ahead, business expectations for the coming year have shown improvement.