UK retail sales excluding fuel fell 0.2% month-on-month, improving from the previous 0.8% decline but remaining in negative territory. The 0.6 percentage-point swing signals a slower pace of contraction, yet still indicates weak underlying consumer demand.
Claim 50% Off TipRanks Premium and Invest with Confidence
- Unlock hedge-fund level data and powerful investing tools designed to help you make smarter, sharper decisions
- Stay ahead of the market with the latest news and analysis so your portfolio is always positioned for maximum potential
The outcome undershot analysts’ expectation of a 0.2% increase, a 0.4 percentage-point disappointment that reinforces concerns about softness in discretionary spending. Retailers, consumer discretionary stocks, and shopping-center REITs are likely to face renewed pressure as investors reassess earnings resilience. The negative surprise also supports a more dovish tilt in rate expectations, which tends to aid rate-sensitive sectors such as utilities and housebuilders in the short term, while keeping focus on the medium-term growth outlook.