LONDON (Reuters) – Britain’s manufacturing sector showed further signs that it might be turning a corner in its long-running downturn but companies remained cautious and pushed up their prices, according to a survey published on Friday.
The final reading of the S&P Global/CIPS manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) improved for a third month in a row to 47.2 in November from 44.8 in October.
The reading was also up from a preliminary November estimate of 46.7 although it remained below the 50.0 growth threshold for a 16th month in a row.
The severity of the downturn eased in output and new orders, the PMI showed.
“Manufacturers nonetheless remained on a cautious footing, with ongoing market uncertainty and the need to control costs leading to job losses, stock depletion and lower purchasing,” S&P Global said.
Input costs fell again but manufacturers increased their selling prices for only the second time in six months – albeit fractionally – as they sought to repair profit margins, it said.
The Bank of England is monitoring price pressures in the economy after keeping interest rates at their 15-year high in September and November and saying that it has not seen enough easing in underlying inflation to think about cutting them.
(Reporting by William Schomberg; Editing by Toby Chopra)
