Written by Steven Hansen
The ISM Manufacturing survey improved and continued in expansion. The key internals are in expansion but were softer. The Markit PMI manufacturing Index is in positive territory but declined.
Analyst Opinion of the ISM Manufacturing Survey
Based on these surveys and the district Federal Reserve Surveys, one would expect the Fed’s Industrial Production index growth rate remain about the same as last month. Overall, surveys do not have a high correlation to the movement of industrial production (manufacturing) since the Great Recession.
From Nasdaq / Econoday:
Consensus Range | Consensus | Actual | |
Markit Manufacturing | 54.6 to 56.2 | 54.6 | 55.4 |
ISM Manufacturing | 57.0 to 60.0 | 58.3 | 60.2 |
From the Markit PMI Manufacturing Index:
U.S. manufacturing growth remains strong despite hitting four-month low
- Output expands at slower, but still solid, rate
- New orders increase at softest rate since November 2017
- Suppliers’ delivery times lengthen to the greatest extent in series history
- June data signalled a slightly softer rate of growth across the U.S. manufacturing sector. The PMI dipped to its lowest in four months as output and new orders both expanded at the slowest rates since November 2017. Meanwhile, the effects of tariffs were widely cited as contributing to another sharp rise in input prices, while suppliers’ delivery times lengthened to the greatest extent since the series began. Average charges also increased sharply, rising at the second-fastest rate since June 2011.
- The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit final U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI™) registered 55.4 in June, down from 56.4 in May. The latest PMI reading was up from the ‘flash’ figure of 54.6 and ended the strongest quarterly performance since the third quarter of 2014.
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From the Institute of Supply Management report:
Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in June, and theoverall economy grew for the 110th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®.
The report was issued today by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee: “The June PMI® registered 60.2 percent, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the May reading of 58.7 percent. The New Orders Index registered 63.5 percent, a decrease of 0.2 percentage point from the May reading of 63.7 percent. The Production Index registered 62.3 percent, a 0.8 percentage point increase compared to the May reading of 61.5 percent. The Employment Index registered 56 percent, a decrease of 0.3 percentage point from the May reading of 56.3 percent. The Supplier Deliveries Index registered 68.2 percent, a 6.2 percentage point increase from the May reading of 62 percent. The Inventories Index registered 50.8 percent, an increase of 0.6 percentage point from the May reading of 50.2 percent. The Prices Index registered 76.8 percent in June, a 2.7 percentage point decrease from the May reading of 79.5 percent, indicating higher raw materials prices for the 28th consecutive month.
“Comments from the panel reflect continued expanding business strength. Demand remains strong, with the New Orders Index at 60 percent or above for the 14th straight month, and the Customers’ Inventories Index remaining low. The Backlog of Orders Index continued to expand, reading at 60 percent of higher for the third consecutive month. Consumption, described as production and employment, continues to expand in spite of labor, skill and material shortages. Inputs, expressed as supplier deliveries, inventories and imports, had expansion increases, due primarily to negative supply chain issues. Lead-time extensions, steel and aluminum disruptions, supplier labor issues, and transportation difficulties continue. Export orders expanded at higher rates. Price pressure remains strong, but the index saw its first expansion softening since November 2017. Demand remains robust, but the nation’s employment resources and supply chains continue to struggle. Respondents are overwhelmingly concerned about how tariff related activity is and will continue to affect their business,” says Fiore.
Of the 18 manufacturing industries, 17 reported growth in June, in the following order: Textile Mills; Wood Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Fabricated Metal Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Paper Products; Transportation Equipment; Furniture & Related Products; Machinery; Primary Metals; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Chemical Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; and Plastics & Rubber Products. No industry reported a decrease in June compared to May.
Relatively deep penetration of this index below 50 has normally resulted in a recession.
Source: Nasdaq / Econoday – Data Source: Haver Analytics
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It is interesting to note that ISM Manufacturing represents less than 10% of USA employment, and approximately 20% of the business economy. Historically, it could be argued that the production portion of ISM Manufacturing leads the Fed’s Industrial Production index – however the correlation is not strong when looking at trends.
However, holding this and other survey’s Econintersect follows accountable for their predictions, the following graph compares the hard data from Industrial Products manufacturing subindex (blue bar) and US Census manufacturing shipments (red bar) to the ISM Manufacturing Survey (purple bar).
Caveats on the use of ISM Manufacturing Index:
This is a survey, a quantification of opinion – not facts and data. However, as pointed out above, certain elements of this survey have good to excellent correlation to the economy. Surveys lead hard data by weeks to months, and can provide early insight into changing conditions.
Many use ISM manufacturing for guidance in estimating manufacturing employment growth. Econintersect has run correlation coefficients for the ISM manufacturing employment and the BLS manufacturing employment data series above going back to 1988, using quarterly data. The coincident correlations are actually negative, but poor (r = -0.2 to -0.4 for various time periods examined). See here for definitions.
Before 2000 the ISM employment data had a weak positive correlation to the BLS data 4 to 7 quarters later (r values above 0.6). Since 2000 the correlations for ISM manufacturing employment as a leading indicator for the BLS manufacturing employment have been between 0 and 0.3 for r (correlation coefficient). These values define correlations as none to poor.
In other words, ISM employment index is not useful in understanding manufacturing jobs growth.
The ISM employment index appears useful in predicting turning points which can lead the BLS data up to one year.
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