UK GDP contracted -0.2% mom in December, better than expectation of -0.5% mom. Services output dropped -0.5% mom. Production rose 0.3% mom while construction rose 2.0% mom. Services and construction were both above pre-coronavirus levels, by 0.5% and 0.3% respectively, but production remained -2.6% below.
Q4 GDP grew 1.0% qoq, slightly below expectation of 1.0% qoq. The level of GDP in Q4 remained below -0.4% below its pre-coronavirus level in Q4 2019. Nevertheless, monthly GDP was already at its pre-coronavirus level in February 2020.
Also published, manufacturing production rose 0.2% mom, 1.3% yoy in December versus expectation of 0.2% mom, 1.7% yoy. Industrial production rose 0.3% mom, 0.4% yoy, versus expectation of 0.1% mom, 0.6% yoy. Goods trade surplus came in at GBP -12.4B, versus expectation of GBP -13.0B.
