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April Manufacturing ISM registered 54.8
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Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in April, and the overall economy grew for the 95th consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®.
The April PMI® registered 54.8 percent, a decrease of 2.4 percentage points from the March reading of 57.2 percent. The New Orders Index registered 57.5 percent, a decrease of 7 percentage points from the March reading of 64.5 percent. The Production Index registered 58.6 percent, 1 percentage point higher than the March reading of 57.6 percent. The Employment Index registered 52 percent, a decrease of 6.9 percentage points from the March reading of 58.9 percent. Inventories of raw materials registered 51 percent, an increase of 2 percentage points from the March reading of 49 percent. The Prices Index registered 68.5 percent in April, a decrease of 2 percentage points from the March reading of 70.5 percent, indicating higher raw materials prices for the 14th consecutive month, but at a slower rate of increase in April compared with March. Comments from the panel generally reflect stable to growing business conditions; with new orders, production, employment and inventories of raw materials all growing in April over March.
Of the 18 manufacturing industries, 16 reported growth in April in the following order: Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Textile Mills; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Furniture & Related Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Machinery; Paper Products; Chemical Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Primary Metals; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Computer & Electronic Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; and Transportation Equipment. The only industry that reported contraction in April compared to March is Apparel, Leather & Allied Products.
Posted: May 1, 2017 Monday 10:00 AM