Output in the Welsh private sector has dipped into negative terrain, according to latest research from NatWest Bank.
Its Wales business activity index registered 49.4 in May, down from 51.1 in April. Anything below 50 denotes contraction. The latest data brings to an end a three-month sequence of expansion. Of the 12 monitored UK areas, Welsh firms were alone in registering lower business activity.
Welsh private sector firms did record a third successive monthly expansion in new business during May. The upturn in new orders was linked to sustained increases in client demand and new customer acquisitions. However, the rate of growth was much weaker than the UK trend which indicated a solid rise in new business.