PMI for USA fra Markit – læs hele meddelelsen her:
“Manufacturers reported a weakened pace of expansion at the end of
2018, and grew less upbeat about prospects for 2019. Output and order
books grew at the slowest rates for over a year and optimism about the
outlook slumped to its gloomiest for over two years. The month rounds
of a fourth quarter in which manufacturing production is indicated to
have risen at only a modest annualised rate of about 1%.
“Some of the weakness is due to capacity constraints, with producers
again reporting widespread difficulties in finding suitable staff and
sourcing sufficient quantities of inputs. However, the survey also
revealed signs of slower demand growth from customers, as well
as rising concerns over the impact of tariffs. Just over two thirds of
manufacturers reporting higher costs attributed the rise in prices to
tariffs.
“Growth was led by strengthening demand for consumer goods, and
robust growth was also reported for investment goods such as plant and
machinery. But producers of intermediate goods – who supply inputs to
other manufactures – reported the weakest rise in new orders for over
two years, hinting at increased destocking by their customers.
“A shift to inventory reduction was highlighted by purchasing activity in
the manufacturing sector rising at the weakest rate for one and a half
years in December, providing further evidence that companies have
become increasingly cautious about spending amid rising uncertainty
about the outlook.
