I tweeted about an hour ago
@fundmyfund $$ ISM manufacturing at 10 AM has a low bar at 50.5, so any upside surprise could reverse margin (market) short term from its perverse gloom.
S&P up 15 points now as I type, from the lows.... we'll know in a few hours how much of this is simply short covering.
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Full report here. New orders were flat (bad), employment ticked up 2 (good), and prices were up 0.5 (don't know if the market wants higher prices or not at this time).
WHAT RESPONDENTS ARE SAYING ...
- "The economy continues to be a drag on our business outlook. We are trying to deal with new and additional FDA regulations which are costing significant dollars. It is hard to recoup any of these additional costs in our pricing levels without losing significant sales volumes." (Chemical Products)
- "Market is cautious, but still steady." (Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components)
- "Global demand for semiconductors is down and maybe not yet 'bottomed out.' Inventory reduction activities are a priority." (Computer & Electronic Products)
- "Still strong automotive demand." (Fabricated Metal Products)
- "Orders remain consistent and steady — no sign of lower demand." (Paper Products)
- "Japan supply chain issues are over, but exchange rates and raw material prices are hurting our profit." (Transportation Equipment)
- "We sense a weakening in demand, but it is not extreme at this point." (Plastics & Rubber Products)
- "Overall, business is improving with a measurable uptick in orders this month. Part of that is due to pre-holiday season orders." (Miscellaneous Manufacturing)
- "Business continues to be sluggish." (Furniture & Related Products)
MANUFACTURING AT A GLANCE SEPTEMBER 2011 | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Index | Series Index Sep | Series Index Aug | Percentage Point Change | Direction | Rate of Change | Trend* (Months) |
PMI | 51.6 | 50.6 | +1.0 | Growing | Faster | 26 |
New Orders | 49.6 | 49.6 | 0.0 | Contracting | Same | 3 |
Production | 51.2 | 48.6 | +2.6 | Growing | From Contacting | 1 |
Employment | 53.8 | 51.8 | +2.0 | Growing | Faster | 24 |
Supplier Deliveries | 51.4 | 50.6 | +0.8 | Slowing | Faster | 28 |
Inventories | 52.0 | 52.3 | -0.3 | Growing | Slower | 2 |
Customers' Inventories | 49.0 | 46.5 | +2.5 | Too Low | Slower | 30 |
Prices | 56.0 | 55.5 | +0.5 | Increasing | Faster | 27 |
Backlog of Orders | 41.5 | 46.0 | -4.5 | Contracting | Faster | 4 |
Exports | 53.5 | 50.5 | +3.0 | Growing | Faster | 27 |
Imports | 54.5 | 55.5 | -1.0 | Growing | Slower | 25 |
OVERALL ECONOMY | Growing | Faster | 28 | |||
Manufacturing Sector | Growing | Faster | 26 |