Data from the UK saw the services PMI edging slightly higher. The services sector activity rose 54.2, beating estimates of 54.1 and ending up slightly higher than November’s 53.8 reading.
Private payrolls hiring was seen rising robustly on the back of the holiday season. Data from ADP/Moody’s showed that the private sector hiring increased by 250k in December. This was higher than the estimates of 191k. November’s ADP payrolls were revised down to 185k.
Looking ahead, the markets will be shifting focus to the nonfarm payrolls report that is due today. Market expectations call for a 190k estimate on the jobs added during the month. The U.S. unemployment rate is expected to remain steady at 4.1% while the average hourly earnings are expected to rise 0.3% on the month. Following the payrolls report, ISM will be releasing the non-manufacturing PMI data which is expected to show a modest increase to 57.6.
