UK Composite PMI Rises in January

2026-01-23 09:49 By Andre Joaquim 1 min. read

The UK S&P Global Composite PMI rose to 53.9 in January of 2026 from 51.4 in the previous month, well above market expectations of 51.5 to mark the sharpest growth in the UK private-sector activity since April of 2024, according to a flash estimate.

Business activity surged for the services sector (54.3 vs 51.4 in December 2025), while that for manufacturers rose markedly to a 17-month high (51.6 vs 50.6).

Total new orders received by the private sector rose to a third month in the last four, supported by an improvement in export sales.

Despite the recovery in order books, firms reported a reduction in employment levels due to rising payroll costs and muted economic conditions, particularly for service providers, maintaining the trend from previous quarters.

This drove input costs to accelerate the most in seven months, driving firms to raise output charges accordingly to protect margins.

Looking forward, business activity expectations improved for a second straight month.



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