The best that can be said about manufacturing activity in five regional Federal Reserve banks is that it has moved more or less sideways over the past three months. This lackluster performance is consistent with the global slowdown in economic activity that is a response to tight monetary policies and ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Decline continues in May
Manufacturing activity continues to lag improvements in the general economy. Surveys of manufacturing firms conducted by five regional Federal Reserve banks continue to show the negative impact of a tight monetary policy and the lagged effect of an aggressive fiscal policy. Manufacturing in ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: The Boeing effect takes a toll
The RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index declined in March to 1.8 standard deviations below the levels of activity that would normally be expected, reflecting sluggish activity across the production sector in general and the problems at Boeing in particular. Only the Philadelphia region offered signs ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Soft sentiment in an uneven recovery
The slowdown in manufacturing continued into February, but at a slower pace, according to surveys conducted by regional Federal Reserve banks. In fact, two of the five regions used in our analysis of regional manufacturing (Philadelphia and Dallas) reported overall positive responses. Three regions ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Pullback tempered by rise in capex
The pullback in manufacturing continued into January, with the RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index slipping further to nearly 2.8 standard deviations below conditions that would normally be expected. But the pullback was tempered by an increase in capital expenditures, a reflection of the resilience in ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Slowdown even as jobs recover
Manufacturing continued to pull back in November, with the RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index remaining at 1.3 standard deviations below the level that would be considered normal. Although we think that the manufacturing sector has bottomed, any signs of an improvement have abated. A turn toward ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Financing costs and UAW strike take toll
Rising yields and the strike by the United Auto Workers contributed to a pullback in manufacturing in the United States into October, with the RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index slipping to 1.3 standard deviations below normal. Although it appears the end of the UAW strike is at hand pending votes ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Four months of improvements at risk
The RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index continues to improve, with September’s results the fourth month of a developing uptrend. Three of the five regional Federal Reserve surveys reported increased activity during the month, while the Philadelphia and Kansas City regions reported significant ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: Signs of a bottom
The decline in the RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index appears to be nearing a bottom. We think that the mild recession in the manufacturing sector is approaching its end. The nascent manufacturing construction boom will soon translate into robust new orders and we think that a policy-induced tailwind will ... READ MORE >
RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index: A continued decline in July
The RSM US Manufacturing Outlook Index moved sideways in July as manufacturing firms in four of the five Federal Reserve regions again reported outright declines in activity as well as declines in new orders. Only the New York region reported increased activity and a rise in new orders, and ... READ MORE >