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Last Update: 03-Jan-12 11:02 ET
Manufacturing Activities Strengthened in December
Manufacturing activity strengthened in December as the ISM Manufacturing Index increased from 52.7 in November to 53.9. The Briefing.com consensus expected the ISM Index to increase to 53.4.
The production index increased from 56.6 in November to 59.9 in December as the new orders index strengthened from 56.7 in November to 57.6 in December. Order backlogs contracted for the seventh consecutive month, but the rate of contraction slowed as the respective index increased from 45.0 in November to 48.0 in December.
On another positive note, customer inventories contracted substantially in December as the respective index fell from 50.0 in November to 42.5 in December. We anticipate strong orders growth over the next several months as customers rebuild their inventory stocks.
The employment index increased from 51.8 in November to 55.1 in December.
The production index increased from 56.6 in November to 59.9 in December as the new orders index strengthened from 56.7 in November to 57.6 in December. Order backlogs contracted for the seventh consecutive month, but the rate of contraction slowed as the respective index increased from 45.0 in November to 48.0 in December.
On another positive note, customer inventories contracted substantially in December as the respective index fell from 50.0 in November to 42.5 in December. We anticipate strong orders growth over the next several months as customers rebuild their inventory stocks.
The employment index increased from 51.8 in November to 55.1 in December.
