PMI fra Markit
“January saw US manufacturers start the year with renewed
vigour. Production rose at a markedly increased rate,
commensurate with the factory sector contributing to robust
economic growth of approximately 2.5% in the first quarter if
such momentum can be sustained in coming months.
“Other encouraging signs included an improved rate of job
creation and increased purchasing of inputs, suggesting firms
are in the mood for expanding capacity.
“The upturn in business activity in January helped lift
confidence in the outlook, though many companies clearly
remain concerned about the impact of trade wars and rising
protectionism.
“Domestic markets provided the main source of new work
for manufacturers, offsetting a near-stalling of export trade,
the latter linked to subdued demand for US goods in foreign
markets. Although higher than December, the overall rise in
new orders was the second-lowest since last August, hinting
at a slight cooling of demand growth in recent months which
served to keep the headline PMI below the average recorded
last year.”
Overall operating conditions across the U.S. manufacturing
sector improved in January, supported by faster expansions
in output and new orders. Domestic demand drove new
business growth, as new export orders rose only marginally
and at the weakest rate since last October. Business
confidence about the year ahead also picked up markedly
to reach a three-month high. Meanwhile, goods producers
increased their workforce numbers strongly amid a quicker
rise in new orders. Nonetheless, backlogs continued to
expand. On the price front, input cost inflation eased to a
12-month low but remained marked and above the series
trend.
The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit final U.S. Manufacturing
Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI™) posted 54.9 in January,
up from 53.8 in December. The latest headline figure signalled
a strong and faster improvement in the overall health of the
sector, and was above the long-run series average.
Supporting the higher PMI reading was a sharp and quicker
expansion in production across the manufacturing sector
in January. The rise in output was the fastest since last
September and stronger than the series trend.
