LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 2026--
Led by broad increases across the services sector, the U.K. economy expanded in March , according to data from CoStar, a global leading provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets.
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Quarterly growth reached 0.6%, up from 0.1% in the final three months of 2025, with March expanding by 0.3%.
Construction also returned to growth, rising 0.4%, largely driven by repair and maintenance activity rather than new projects. Meanwhile, production output, including manufacturing, edged up 0.2%.
“The latest U.K. PMI data points to a stronger-than-expected economic backdrop,” said Patrick Scanlon, senior director of market analytics at CoStar Europe. “With manufacturing output rising to a near four-year high (53.6 in April) and services activity continuing to expand at a steady pace (52.7).”
On a monthly basis, the most significant drag on gross domestic product came from a 6.4% decline in travel agency and tour operator activity.
The full analysis can be found here.
For more information about the company and its products and services, please visit www.costargroup.com.
About CoStar Group
CoStar Group (NASDAQ: CSGP) is a global leader in commercial real estate information, analytics, online marketplaces, and 3D digital twin technology. Founded in 1986, CoStar Group is dedicated to digitizing the world’s real estate, empowering all people to discover properties, insights, and connections that improve their businesses and lives.
CoStar Group’s major brands include CoStar, a leading global provider of commercial real estate data, analytics, and news; LoopNet, the most trafficked commercial real estate marketplace; Apartments.com, the leading platform for apartment rentals; Homes.com, the fastest-growing residential real estate marketplace; and Domain, one of Australia’s leading property marketplaces. CoStar Group’s industry-leading brands also include Matterport, a leading spatial data company whose platform turns buildings into data to make every space more valuable and accessible; STR, a global leader in hospitality data and benchmarking; Ten-X, an online platform for commercial real estate auctions and negotiated bids; and OnTheMarket, a leading residential property portal in the United Kingdom.
CoStar Group’s websites attracted over 131 million average monthly unique visitors in the first quarter of 2026, serving clients around the world. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, CoStar Group is committed to transforming the real estate industry through innovative technology and comprehensive market intelligence. From time to time, we plan to utilize our corporate website as a channel of distribution for material company information. For more information, visit CoStarGroup.com.
U.K. Economy Outperformed Growth Expectations in Q1 2026
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine Senate convened an impeachment court Monday for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte over criminal charges, in a time of deep divisions that erupted into an exchange of gunfire last week in the chamber.
The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Duterte last Monday over alleged unexplained wealth, misuse of state funds and a public threat to have the president assassinated if she herself were killed due to their political disputes.
The vice president, who has announced her plan to seek the presidency in 2028, has denied the charges but has refused to answer the allegations in detail.
Her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, has been detained by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity. The charges stem from anti-drugs crackdowns he ordered while in power that killed thousands of mostly petty suspects.
Ahead of the impeachment trial, 13 of 24 senators led by allies of the Dutertes suddenly wrested the presidency of the Senate last Monday, leaving the outcome of the trial in question.
The vice president has blamed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., her former ally and running mate in the 2022 election, for “kidnapping” her ailing father, referring to his arrest and transfer to the international court in The Hague last March.
The escalating disputes between the country’s two top leaders reflect the deep divisions that have long plagued the rambunctious Asian democracy.
One of the senators, Ronald dela Rosa, served as Rodrigo Duterte’s national police chief and enforced his bloody crackdowns on illegal drugs. The ICC has named dela Rosa as a co-conspirator and unsealed a warrant for his arrest last Monday.
That same day, Dela Rosa, who was absent from the Senate for months for fear of arrest, suddenly showed up in the chamber to enable Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, a key ally of the Dutertes, to gain a slim majority and capture the Senate presidency.
Dela Rosa told reporters he came out of hiding and went to the Senate using Cayetano’s van but was nearly arrested by National Bureau of Investigation agents. He dashed into a stairway and ran to the Senate plenary hall, where Cayetano and other allies placed him under the chamber’s “protective custody.”
A tense standoff between the Senate’s security personnel and government agents positioned in an adjacent government building escalated into an exchange of fire Wednesday night with the Senate personnel firing what their chief, Mao Aplasca, said were warning shots. Marcos appealed to the public to remain calm in a late-night call on national TV.
Cayetano later said that dela Rosa had disappeared from the Senate. Authorities said they were investigating the possibility that the exchange of fire may have been instigated to enable dela Rosa's escape.
Philippine Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aguirre Aquino IV, center, looks at his phone as they convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Philippine senate, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Pasay, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Philippine senators convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Philippine senate, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Pasay, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Philippine Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano bangs the gavel as they convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Philippine senate, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Pasay, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Philippine senator Robin Padilla, left, and Christopher "Bong" Go takes oath as they convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Philippine senate, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Pasay, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Philippine senators take oath as they convene as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Philippine senate, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Pasay, Philippines. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)
Police personnel stand behind their shields outside the Senate of the Philippines, in Manila, Thursday May 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerard Carreon)
