Financial News: UK Private Sector Growth Accelerates To Near 2-Year

UK Private Sector Growth Accelerates To Near 2-Year High

02/20/2026 - 08:04:00 (RTTNews)

(RTTNews) - UK private sector rebounded the most in nearly two years in February as new orders registered a robust upturn, flash survey results from S&P Global revealed Friday.

The flash composite output index registered 53.9 in February, up from 53.7 in January, to signal the fastest rise in private sector activity since April 2024.

The improvement was driven by a sharper expansion of manufacturing production. Meanwhile, services output growth eased since January.

"The survey data so far this year are consistent with GDP rising by just over 0.3% in the first quarter if this performance is sustained into March," S&P Global Market Intelligence Chief Business Economist Chris Williamson added.

The services Purchasing Managers' Index dropped slightly to 53.9 from 54.0 in the prior month. Meanwhile, the factory PMI hit an 18-month high of 52.0, up from 51.8 in January.

The survey showed that higher levels of business activity were attributed to a sustained recovery in domestic and export demand. New orders rose the most since September 2024.

However, employment remained a weak spot as staffing decreased at a solid pace in February. Despite an increase in new work, there was a lack of pressure on business capacity. Data showed that unfinished business decreased in each month since May 2023.

Regarding prices, input price inflation eased to a three-month low due to another steep rise in business expenses. However, output charges rose the most since April 2025.

There was a strong degree of confidence regarding the outlook for business activity in the year ahead. Positivity mainly reflected signs of a turnaround in customer demand and hopes of a broader upturn in market conditions.

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

Market News provided by RTTNews

RECENT INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL NEWS

China Industrial Output, Retail Sales Growth Beats Expectations (02 hr(s), 12 min(s), 15 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - China's industrial production and retail sales growth exceeded expectations in the ...Full Story»

China Industrial Output Rises More Than Forecast (07 min(s), 45 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - China's industrial production and retail sales increased more than expected in the ...Full Story»

China Data On Tap For Monday (16 min(s), 45 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - China is scheduled to release a batch of data on Monday, highlighting an otherwise lig ...Full Story»

New Zealand Services Sector Slips Into Contraction - BusinessNZ (54 min(s), 45 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - The services sector in New Zealand dropped into contraction territory in February, the ...Full Story»

U.S. Consumer Sentiment Dips In March Due To Middle East Conflict (50 min(s), 45 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Reflecting the conflict in the Middle East and the subsequent jump in gas prices, the ...Full Story»

U.S. Job Openings Increase More Than Expected In January (47 min(s), 45 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - The Labor Department released a report on Friday showing job openings in the U.S. incr ...Full Story»

U.S. Economy Grows Much Less Than Previously Estimated In Q4 (44 min(s), 45 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - U.S. economic growth slowed by much more than previously estimated in the fourth quart ...Full Story»

U.S. Durable Goods Orders Unexpectedly Flat In January (42 min(s), 45 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - The Commerce Department released a report on Friday showing new orders for U.S. manufa ...Full Story»