The UK manufacturing sector showed renewed signs of weakness at the start of the second quarter. April saw output and new orders slip back into contraction territory following short-lived upturns in March, as uncertain market conditions, client destocking and supply-chain disruption (mainly relating to the Red Sea crisis) stymied opportunities for sustained expansion. The seasonally adjusted S&P Global UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI®) fell to 49.1 in April, down from March's 20-month high of 50.3. Four of the five PMI constituents (output, new orders, employment and stocks of purchases) ... (full story)