|

UK Preliminary Manufacturing PMI misses estimates with 56.3 in Sept

  • UK Manufacturing PMI misses estimates with 56.3 in September.
  • Services PMI in the UK drops to 54.6 in Sept, a miss. 
  • GBP/USD holds above 1.3650 on poor UK PMIs.

The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 56.3 in September versus 59.0 expected and 60.3 – August’s final reading.

The gauge fell to the lowest levels in seven months.

Meanwhile, the Preliminary UK Services Business Activity Index for September eased 54.6 to versus August’s final readout of 55.0 and 55.0 expected. The index also reaches seven-month lows.

Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at IHS Markit, commented on the survey

"The September PMI data will add to worries that the UK economy is heading towards a bout of ‘stagflation’, with growth continuing to trend lower while prices surge ever higher.“

"While there are clear signs that demand is cooling since peaking in the second quarter, the survey also points to the business activity being increasingly constrained by shortages of materials and labor, most notably in the manufacturing sector but also in some services firms. A lack of staff and components were especially widely cited as causing falls in output within the food, drink and vehicle manufacturing sectors.”

FX implications

Downbeat UK Preliminary Manufacturing and Services PMIs failed to deter the GBP bulls, keeping the GBP/USD bounce above 1.3650.

The spot is currently trading at 1.3665, up 0.27% so far.

Author

Dhwani Mehta

Dhwani Mehta

FXStreet

Residing in Mumbai (India), Dhwani is a Senior Analyst and Manager of the Asian session at FXStreet. She has over 10 years of experience in analyzing and covering the global financial markets, with specialization in Forex and commodities markets.

More from Dhwani Mehta
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD softens below 1.1750 after Fed Minutes

The EUR/USD pair attracts some sellers near 1.1745 during the early Asian session on Wednesday. The US Dollar edges higher against the Euro after the release of minutes from the Federal Reserve's December meeting. The US Initial Jobless Claims report will be released later in the day. Trading volumes are expected to remain thin ahead of the New Year holidays.

GBP/USD trades flat above 1.3450 amid thin trading volume

The GBP/USD pair holds steady around 1.3465 during the early Asian trading hours on Wednesday. However, the Bank of England guided that monetary policy will remain on a gradual downward path, which might underpin the Cable against the US Dollar. Financial markets are expected to trade on thin volumes as traders prepare for the New Year holiday.

Gold attempts another run toward $4,400 on final day of 2025

Gold price makes another attempt toward $4,400 in Asian trading on Tuesday, keeping the recovery mode intact following Monday's over 4% correction. The bright metal seems to cheer upbeat Chinese NBS and RatingDog Manufacturing and Services PMI data for December. 

When the tape goes quiet the positioning speaks

From the outside this session looked like paint drying. Indexes barely moved. No reaction to Case Shiller. No reaction to the Fed minutes. The S&P 500 parked itself right where it started, and the much-discussed Santa rally stalled into a polite cough.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).