@Risk

New orders for manufactured goods rose for the second consecutive month in December, the US Department of Commerce reported on Friday.

In addition:

• Shipments increased 0.7 percent –up for the seventh consecutive month.
• Unfilled orders increased 1.4 percent –now up 20 of the last 21 months.
• Inventories increased 0.1 percent –up 26 of the last 27 months.

The latest report from the Institute for Supply Management also showed signs of improvement. According to the ISM Report On Business, economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector grew in January for the 25^th consecutive month.

ISM’s research found that the 12 non-manufacturing industries reporting growth in January were (in order): (more…)

Economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector was up again in August, marking the 21^st consecutive month of increases.

The Non-Manufacturing ISM Report On Business, issued this week by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), showed that:

• The Non-Manufacturing Index registered 53.3 percent in August, 0.6 percentage point higher than the 52.7 percent registered in July, and indicating continued growth at a slightly faster rate in the non-manufacturing sector. (A reading above 50 percent indicates the non-manufacturing sector economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates the non-manufacturing sector is generally contracting.)
• The Non-Manufacturing Business Activity Index decreased 0.5 percentage point to 55.6 percent, reflecting growth for the 25th consecutive month, but at a slower rate than in July.
• The New Orders Index increased by 1.1 percentage points to 52.8 percent.
• The Employment Index decreased 0.9 percentage point to 51.6 percent, indicating growth in employment for the 12th consecutive month, but at a slower rate than in July.
• The Prices Index increased 7.6 percentage points to 64.2 percent, indicating that prices increased at a faster rate in August when compared to July.

According to the NMI, 10 non-manufacturing industries reported growth in August. The list (in order) : (more…)

Without a doubt, glimmers of improvement are beginning to appear throughout the business landscape. But, most economic indicators I see continue to point towards a recovery that will be bumpy, at best.

To help illustrate my point, let me walk you through some new survey results from the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business. The data shows that:

• Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in September for the 14th consecutive month.

• However, growth of new orders continued to slow.

“While the headline number shows relative strength this month as the PMI reading of 54.4 percent is still quite positive, the overall picture is less encouraging. The growth of new orders continued to slow, as the index is down significantly from its cyclical high of 65.9 percent (January 2010). Production is currently growing at a faster rate than new orders, but it typically lags and would be expected to weaken further in the fourth quarter,” explains Norbert J. Ore, CPSM, C.P.M., chair of the Institute for Supply Management  Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.  “Manufacturing has enjoyed a stronger recovery than other sectors of the economy, but it appears that weaker growth is the expectation for the fourth quarter. Both the Inventories and Backlog of Orders Indexes are sending strong negative signals of weakening performance in the sector.”

Here’s a look at some of the survey results in more detail: (more…)

Driven by continued strength in new orders and production, economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in May for the 10th consecutive month, according to the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business.

The report, issued last Tuesday, also showed that the overall economy grew for the 13th consecutive month.

In the manufacturing sector, 16 of the 18  industries surveyed are reporting growth in May. The list includes: (more…)

There’s encouraging news in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business.

According to the report, the overall economy grew for the tenth consecutive month during February. Plus, economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew for the seventh consecutive month, and employment numbers showed growth for the third month in a row.

The 11 manufacturing industries reporting growth in February — listed in order — are: (more…)