Sancho Panza Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Reuters 4/9/13 '(Reuters) - A rush of new business last month drove Britain's services sector to its fastest growth rate for more than six years, challenging the Bank of England's cautious outlook for the economy a day before a monetary policy meeting. Wednesday's Markit/CIPS UK services purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 60.5 in August from 60.2 in July, adding to a run of data suggesting the UK economic recovery is gathering momentum. The reading was the highest since December 2006, holding well above the 50 threshold dividing growth from contraction for the eighth consecutive month. Economists polled by Reuters had predicted growth would slow slightly to 59.0. Instead, order books at companies ranging from banks to restaurants filled at the fastest pace since May 1997, the month Tony Blair became prime minister. Like the previous month, the PMI showed British businesses were at the forefront of Europe's nascent economic recovery, outpacing major euro zone peers that are still grappling for momentum. <EU/PMIS> It suggested Britain's economy is on course to better the 0.7 percent quarterly growth it experienced from April through June in this quarter, and comfortably so. "I wouldn't be surprised to see growth double what the Bank of England is expecting for (this) quarter, because they're currently forecasting 0.6 percent," said George Buckley, chief UK economist at Deutsche Bank. Sterling rose to a 7-1/2 month peak against a trade-weighted basket of currencies and a three-and-a-half month high versus the euro after the data. The composite PMI, which incorporates manufacturing and construction data from earlier in the week, rose to 60.7 from 59.5, its highest level since the series began in 1998. While that is welcome news for Britain's government after roughly three years of stagnation, the data may give Bank of England Governor Mark Carney pause for thought. He has stressed the economy needs a lot more help from the central bank to nurse it back to health, and the bank does not plan to raise interest rates until unemployment falls to 7 percent, something he forecasts is at least three years away. Some investors and analysts are not convinced he will be able to keep rates low for that long. "We expect the BoE to be forced into tightening monetary policy well before the Q3 2016 date that they are currently suggesting is the earliest point (that) policy tightening will start," said James Knightley, economist at ING. He cited the strength in orders, rising business optimism and employment hiring surveys, and forecasts the Bank will tighten policy in the first half of 2015. However, the BoE's forecast that unemployment will prove slow to fall may be on the mark, as the services PMI showed that firms' hiring slowed to its weakest pace so far this year. Monday's manufacturing survey also showed slowing jobs growth. The bank's ratesetters meet on Thursday, and economists do not expect them to change tack. JOBS MARKET STILL SUBDUED July and August's services PMIs marked the first back-to-back readings above 60 since 1997. Before the 2008-09 recession, such strong rises in the services PMI were often followed by rises in interest rates. However, the depth of the downturn put a stop to that correlation. Even with last quarter's growth, the economy is still around 3 percent smaller than its pre-recession peak in the first quarter of 2008. And although the new orders index hit 61.3 in August from July's 60.0, leaving it just seven ticks shy of the survey record, the sharp fall in the jobs index showed the labor market still has some catching up to do. "If activity and sales can maintain their current growth velocities, then higher payrolls and ... increased wages should hopefully follow suit," said Paul Smith, senior economist from survey compiler Markit. The survey also showed the rise in prices charged to customers slowed slightly last month. That suggests that, at least for now, the upturn in business is unlikely to be the cause of a spike in inflation, a second catalyst for possible policy change identified by the BoE.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zugzwang Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 The survey also showed the rise in prices charged to customers slowed slightly last month. That suggests that, at least for now, the upturn in business is unlikely to be the cause of a spike in inflation, a second catalyst for possible policy change identified by the BoE.' They're insane. There's no consumer inflation because rising energy costs mean that businesses can't put up prices or wages. Meanwhile asset prices are in bubble territory driven up by Help to Buy, QE and ZIRP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PricedOutNative Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 They're insane. There's no consumer inflation because rising energy costs mean that businesses can't put up prices or wages. Meanwhile asset prices are in bubble territory driven up by Help to Buy, QE and ZIRP! Is that correct? I read the other day that most FTSE100 companies price to earnings ratio was below the average... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Peter Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 So, what is causing this growth? Is it real? Or has a cocktail of easy money acronyms (QE, H2B, NB, FLS and all the rest) finally succeeded in giving life to the cadaver? Peter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frederico Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 It's all brilliant news, however interest rates a flat lining at historical low and QE is flooding the system. Can they achieve growth with normal rates? Apparently not... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ash4781 Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 It makes that Ryanair profit warning even more strange. I read a comment that because of the improved summer weather less people were going abroad which I guess may show up in the pmi but I have not seen the sub detail Of the survey. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCountOfNowhere Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 the bbc is tellng everything is getting bettrr despite the artificially low interest rates...money printing...government cash give away...petrol becoming unaffordable...an insane house bubble in london...zombie companies and households everywhere .....someone aint telling the whole truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zugzwang Posted September 4, 2013 Share Posted September 4, 2013 Is that correct? I read the other day that most FTSE100 companies price to earnings ratio was below the average... Earnings have been inflated by a thirty year debt bubble! Average p/e means nothing. Better comparison is stock prices vs UK production. What justification is there for the FTSE100 at 6,500 in 2013? Not much that I can see, unless you believe all that bs about markets clairvoyantly discounting future earnings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Panza Posted September 5, 2013 Author Share Posted September 5, 2013 Earnings have been inflated by a thirty year debt bubble! As well as sustained over the last couple or three by cost cutting ie reducing your customer's incomes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddie_George Posted September 5, 2013 Share Posted September 5, 2013 the bbc is tellng everything is getting bettrr despite the artificially low interest rates...money printing...government cash give away...petrol becoming unaffordable...an insane house bubble in london...zombie companies and households everywhere .....someone aint telling the whole truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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