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The Markit/CIPS manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) fell sharply to 50.8 from 52.9 in January, below all forecasts in a Reuters poll, and not far from the 50-level that separates growth from contraction.
Sterling fell to the day's low of $1.3909 after the numbers were published, down from $1.3945 beforehand, before recovering to $1.3920, flat on the day.
Against the euro, sterling weakened to 78.05 pence , from 77.95 pence per euro before the data but leaving it still up 0.1 percent on the day.