The pound sterling strengthened on Thursday amid the publication of statistics that exceeded analysts' forecasts. The business activity index (PMI) rose to 53.0 points in August, which was the highest in the last 12 months. For comparison, in July the indicator was 51.5, while economists had expected only 51.0. After the data was released, the pound rose to an intraday high of $1.3481 against $1.3456 previously. The British currency also strengthened its position against the euro: the quote dropped to 0.8651 pounds per euro compared with 0.8664 a day earlier.
