Optimism on UK economy may prove premature, S&P says
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Data now suggested the UK had shaken off the Brexit blues but the outlook remained cloudy, Standard&Poor's economist Sophie Tahiri said in a statement.
"While the news is encouraging, we believe it has no bearing on the cloudy longer-term outlook for the U.K. economy," she diagnosed.
Economic reports on the British economy referencing the month of August suggest the hit to the economy may have been a temporary reaction and less severe than many had thought, "Unfortunately, it doesn't categorically rule out any negative short-term impact."
The S&P economist referenced the July and August readings for the country's purchasing managers indices, which in her opinion were consistent with broadly stagnant levels of economic activity over that same time horizon.
"The uncertainty surrounding the U.K's future outside of the E.U. and the associated economic risks, which we think are pronounced and predominantly skewed to the downside, will gradually take its toll, particularly on investment, as businesses start dealing with the new Brexit reality," she said. ■