UK October flash services PMI 53.1 vs 51.8 expected

<ul><li style="vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 4px; padding: 0;">Prior 52.1</li><li style="vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 4px; padding: 0;">Manufacturing PMI 52.8 vs 51.7 expected</li><li style="vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 4px; padding: 0;">Prior 51.9</li><li style="vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 4px; padding: 0;">Composite PMI 53.1 vs 51.8 expected</li><li style="vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 4px; padding: 0;">Prior 52.0</li></ul><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 20px; padding: 0; font-family: Inter, InterFallback, serif; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0; white-space: normal; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1); font-size: 16px;">Key findings:</p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 20px; padding: 0; font-family: Inter, InterFallback, serif; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0; white-space: normal; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1); font-size: 16px;">Business activity growth accelerates to its fastest since February, helped by rebound in new orders </p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 20px; padding: 0; font-family: Inter, InterFallback, serif; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0; white-space: normal; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1); font-size: 16px;">Comment:</p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 20px; padding: 0; font-family: Inter, InterFallback, serif; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0; white-space: normal; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1); font-size: 16px;">Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence:</p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 20px; padding: 0; font-family: Inter, InterFallback, serif; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0; white-space: normal; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1); font-size: 16px;">“The UK economy has picked up momentum in October, with early PMI data indicating the strongest rate of growth since February. This encouraging sign of economic resilience is underscored by firms taking on additional workers for the first time since hiring was hit by the 2024 Autumn Budget. </p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 20px; padding: 0; font-family: Inter, InterFallback, serif; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0; white-space: normal; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1); font-size: 16px;">"There are reports of paused spending due to a lack of clarity on domestic economic policy in the run up to the Budget, meaning the promising economic picture from the latest PMIs should provide an encouraging base for further robust economic growth through the winter months, barring any adverse surprises to businesses in the tax and spending review. </p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-height: 22px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0; margin: 0 0 20px; padding: 0; font-family: Inter, InterFallback, serif; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 1); letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0; white-space: normal; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 1); font-size: 16px;">"Geopolitics, and notably the potential for conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine to add to energy market volatility, are, however, clearly still unsettling many businesses, and cost of living concerns and broader fiscal worries are being compounded by the shift to higher borrowing costs. </p><p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; line-h