Summary
- The August S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI™ came in at 51.5, down 0.7 from the final July figure and its lowest since July 2020.
- Barring the initial pandemic lockdowns months, this is the steepest downturn in US manufacturing seen since the global financial crisis in 2009.
- Although still elevated by historical standards, the survey’s inflation gauges are now at their lowest for one and a half years.
The August S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI™ came in at 51.5, down 0.7 from the final July figure and its lowest since July 2020. S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI™ is a diffusion index: A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector; below 50 indicates contraction.
Here is an excerpt from IHS Markit in their latest press release:
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at IHS Markit said:
“US factory production was down for a second month running in August, with demand for goods having now fallen for three straight months amid the ongoing impact of soaring inflation, supply constraints, rising interest rates and growing economic uncertainty about the economic outlook.
“Barring the initial pandemic lockdowns months, this is the steepest downturn in US manufacturing seen since the global financial crisis in 2009.
“Worryingly, the sharpest drop in demand was recorded for business equipment and machinery, which points to falling investment spending and heightened risk aversion. Similarly, payroll growth slowed close to stalling, reflecting a growing reticence to expand workforce numbers in the face of a deteriorating demand environment.
“Falling demand for raw materials has, however, taken pressure off supply chains and helped shift some of the pricing power away from sellers towards buyers. Likewise, we are seeing more manufacturers reduce their selling prices to drive sales. Although still elevated by historical standards, the survey’s inflation gauges are now at their lowest for one and a half years, which should help to bring consumer price inflation down in the coming months.” [ Press Release ]
Here is a snapshot of the series since mid-2012.
Here is an overlay with the equivalent PMI survey conducted by the Institute for Supply Management (see our full article on this series here ).
The next chart uses a three-month moving average of the two rather volatile series to facilitate our understanding of the current trend.
Editor's Note: The summary bullets for this article were chosen by Seeking Alpha editors.
For further details see:
July S&P Global U.S. Manufacturing PMI: Lowest Since July 2020