February saw the upturn in UK manufacturing continue, as companies reported rising intakes of new business from both domestic and overseas markets. The outlook for the sector also remained relatively positive, with almost three-fifths of manufacturers expecting output to rise over the coming 12 months. The seasonally adjusted S&P Global UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI®) posted 51.7 in February, little-changed from January's 17-month high of 51.8 but below the earlier flash estimate of 52.0. The PMI has signalled expansions in each of the past four months. February saw three of its five ... (full story)