Retail sales Higher Again In Feb, Food......>

UK DATA: Retail sales Higher Again In Feb, Food Sales Lower

--Feb retail sales +0.4% m/m, +4.0% y/y (Bbrg median -0.4%mm, +3.3% yy)

--Feb sales ex-fuel +0.2% m/m, +3.8% y/y (Bbg med -0.4% mm, +3.5% yy)

--Jan retail sales revised 0.1 pp lower m/m and y/y in both categories

--Feb PSNB-X Stg0.2 bn vs Jan -stg13.284 bn

--Feb Debt/GDP at 82.8% vs Jan 82.9%  (lowest since Oct 2016)

--Feb CGNCR -Stg1.717 bn vs Jan 2019 -Stg25.827 bn

--Feb borrowing included Stg2.9 bn EU payment vs Stg1.9 bn in Feb 2018

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Retail sales continued to recover in February, outpacing both MNI 

and Bloomberg median expecations that both predicted a slowdown. The 

bounce came despite a sharp slowdown in sales at food retailers, down 

1.2% on the month. Looking at the rolling 3-months, retail sales rose 

0.7%, with the ONS noting "strong increases in fuel sales and online 

shopping". Public finances saw debt/GDP fall to 82.8% in Feb, the lowest 

monthly reading since October 2016.