The first estimate of UK first quarter...>

UK PREVIEW: The first estimate of UK first quarter gross domestic product will

be released today, when we learn how economic growth fared in the first three

months of 2018. The MNI median expectation, taken from a poll of analysts, looks

for a drop in the quarterly rate to 0.3%, down from 0.4% in Q4, with an annual

growth rate of 1.3%.

- MNI's analyst team note that If the past ten first quarter results are go by

there is a clear tendency for analysts to over-estimate GDP over the opening

three months of the year. Over the past decade, analysts have overestimated Q1

growth on six occasions, generating an average data surprise of -0.25pp. For the

full email please see MNI Main Wire (Apr26 1710BST).