Latest data released by Markit - 6 April 2018
- Prior 52.7
Slight delay in the release by Markit.
That's quite a drop though. Markit is attributing the fall due to bad weather:
The survey evidence showed that colder-than-usual weather during March had dampened activity. The contraction also followed particularly strong growth in January, when the PMI had hit an 82-month high thanks to milder-than-usual conditions at the start of the year.
Full report here.
If it's a one-off, then the reading may not be as bad as the figure suggests. But it's a bit tough to assess the impact at this point. Activity fell across all broad areas, so it's not like you can pin point how much the weather has disrupted things.
EUR/USD now at 1.2221 after hitting lows of 1.2215 as the dollar gains across the board. EUR/GBP at 0.8740 and EUR/CHF at 1.1783 - both unchanged for the most part.
