BLBG:U.K. Pound Snaps Gain Versus Dollar Before Manufacturing Data
The pound snapped a gain from last week against the dollar before a report economists said will show U.K. manufacturing grew in August.
Sterling was little changed against the euro. A factory- output gauge rose to 46.1 from 45.4 in July, London-based Markit Economics will say today, according to a Bloomberg News survey. While that’s an improvement from last month, it would mark the fourth month that it’s been below the 50 level that divides growth and contraction. The Bank of England is due to decide on interest rates and asset purchases this week.
The pound was little changed at $1.5860 as of 7:49 a.m. London time, after strengthening 0.4 percent last week. Sterling was at 79.23 pence per euro.
Britain’s currency has gained 1.3 percent this year, according to Bloomberg Correlation-Weighted Indexes, which track 10 developed-market currencies. The dollar fell 1 percent and the euro declined 4.3 percent.
Gilts have returned 4.2 percent this year through Aug. 31, according to indexes compiled by Bloomberg and the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies. German bunds gained 4 percent and U.S. Treasuries earned 2.7 percent.
To contact the reporter on this story: Lukanyo Mnyanda in Edinburgh at lmnyanda@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Dobson at pdobson2@bloomberg.net