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FINWIRES

S&P Global: UK Flash PMI Rises to Two-month High in April

-- Britain's private sector output growth accelerated in April, supported by modest rebounds in manufacturing production and in services activity, flash data from S&P Global showed Thursday.

The flash UK PMI Composite Output Index hit a two-month high of 52 in April, compared with 50.3 in the previous month and the consensus of 49.8.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing PMI rose to a 47-month high of 53.6 from the prior 51 and the Investing.com analyst consensus of 50.3. On the services side, the PMI came in at a two-month high of 52, against the previous 50.5 and the market forecast of 50.

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Sectors

US Natural Gas Stocks Post Larger Gain Than Expected in Week Ended April 17

US natural gas stocks rose by 103 billion cubic feet in the week ended April 17, a larger gain than the 96 billion increase expected in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:35 am ET and following a revised increase of 60 billion cubic feet in the previous week.Stocks at 2.063 trillion cubic feet are 7.4% higher than in the comparable week a year ago and 7.1% above their 5-year average.

Commodities

US Natural Gas Stocks Rise by 103 Bln Cubic Feet in Week Ended April 17 Vs. Expected 96 Bln Increase; Prior Gain of 59 Bln

Research

Research Alert: Pool: Q1 Beat On Maintenance Strength; Maintains Full-year Guidance

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:POOL posted Q1 2026 adjusted EPS of $1.43, up 8.4%, beating the $1.37 consensus estimate. Revenue of $1,138.0M, up 6.2%, beat the $1,098M estimate due to momentum in maintenance products and gradual improvement in discretionary purchases. We believe guidance is achievable given easier year-over-year comparisons and stabilization signs in discretionary spending. POOL maintained full-year EPS guidance of $10.87-$11.17, with the midpoint in line with consensus and implying 3% EPS growth, the first growth since 2022. Gross margins declined 20bps to 29.0% due to seasonal mix headwinds, though operating leverage from slower SG&A growth maintained stable 7.3% operating margins. Inventory levels rose 14% to $1.7B, reflecting higher purchase levels, an important metric to monitor as elevated levels could signal either anticipated demand improvement or potential margin pressure. We view continued macroeconomic volatility and housing market weakness as key risks that could pressure discretionary purchases.

$POOL