Manufacturing Index Improves in May

[papau]

http://www.ism.ws/ISMReport/ROB062004.htm

The report was issued today by Norbert J. Ore, C.P.M., chair of the Institute for Supply Management™ Manufacturing Business Survey Committee and group director, strategic sourcing and procurement, Georgia-Pacific Corporation. "The manufacturing sector grew at a faster rate in May, continuing its recent strong performance. The rate of growth in New Orders and Production slowed slightly but was offset by a significant increase in Employment. Employment has not registered this high since April 1973, when it registered 62.6 percent." <snip>

ISM's PMI registered 62.8 percent in May, an increase of 0.4 percentage point when compared to 62.4 percent in April. ISM's New Orders Index declined 2.2 percentage points from 65 percent in April to 62.8 percent in May. ISM's Production Index decreased 2.2 percentage points from 67 percent in April to 64.8 percent in May. The ISM Employment Index is at 61.9 percent for May, an increase of 4.1 percentage points when compared to the 57.8 percent reported in April.<snip>


ISM's Backlog of Orders Index decreased 3.5 percentage points, registering 63 percent in May compared to 66.5 percent in April. ISM's New Export Orders Index registered 60.6 percent, a decrease of 0.4 percentage point from April's 61 percent. ISM's Imports Index increased 1.3 percentage points to 59.8 percent in May, up from 58.5 percent in April.<snip>


Index Direction
May vs Apr Rate of Change
May vs Apr
PMI 62.8 Growing Faster
New Orders 62.8 Growing Slower
Production 64.8 Growing Slower
Employment 61.9 Growing Faster
Supplier Deliveries 69.4 Slowing Faster
Inventories 49.3 Contracting Slower
Customers' Inventories 37.0 Too Low Faster
Prices 86.0 Increasing Slower
Backlog of Orders 63.0 Growing Slower
New Export Orders 60.6 Growing Slower
Imports 59.8 Growing Faster


<snip>

<snip>The next Manufacturing ISM Report On Business® featuring the June 2004 data will be released at 10:00 a.m. (ET) on July 1, 2004.


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Manufacturing.html


Manufacturing Index Improves in May

NEW YORK (AP) -- U.S. manufacturing activity expanded for the 12th consecutive month in May, and factories boosted employment to meet strong demand for their products, according to a key index released Tuesday.

The Institute for Supply Management said its manufacturing index advanced to 62.8 in May from 62.4 in April. The latest reading was the highest since 63.6 posted in January and was well above the 61.5 that analysts had expected. <snip>