ISM Manufacturing PMI® at 48.5%

Source: Dukascopy Bank SA
U.S. manufacturing activity continued to contract in May, marking the third straight month of decline after a brief two-month expansion. The Manufacturing PMI® came in at 48.5%, slightly lower than April's 48.7%, signaling that the sector remains below the growth threshold of 50%. Despite this, the broader economy continued expanding for the 61st consecutive month.

Demand indicators remained weak. The New Orders Index registered 47.6%, still in contraction but a slight improvement over April. Backlogs also shrank more slowly, with that index rising to 47.1%. On the other hand, the Customers' Inventories Index was considered "too low," which could support future production.

Production and employment also contracted. The Production Index rose to 45.4% from April's 44%, but still indicated declining output. Employment saw a marginal rise to 46.8%, though layoffs continued as firms responded to economic uncertainty.



Prices remained elevated, with the Prices Index at 69.4%, indicating continued upward pressure—albeit slightly cooler than April. The Imports Index sharply declined to 39.9%, showing weakened input demand and ongoing effects from tariffs. The New Export Orders Index also dropped to 40.1%.

Sector-wide, 57% of manufacturing GDP contracted in May, up from 41% in April. However, only 5% of manufacturing GDP showed dangerously low PMI readings (45% or below), down from 18% a month earlier.

Among the strongest performing industries were Plastics & Rubber Products, Petroleum & Coal Products, and Machinery. In contrast, industries like Food, Chemical Products, and Paper Products continued to shrink.
Back to articles

Actual Topics

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 14:26:18 GMT

Job Openings steady in April

The U.S. job market remained steady in April 2025, with job openings little changed at 7.4 million, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The hiring rate also showed minimal movement, staying at 5.6 million, while total separations were unchanged at 5.3 million. Within job openings, declines were seen in accommodation and food services and in state and local government education.

Fri, 30 May 2025 07:50:05 GMT

Pending home sales fall in May

Pending home sales in the U.S. fell sharply by 6.3% in April, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. All four major regions experienced monthly declines, with the West seeing the steepest drop. Compared to last year, pending transactions decreased by 2.5% overall. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, fell to 71.3 in April. A

Subscribe to "Fundamental Analysis" feed

Subscribe
To learn more about Dukascopy Bank CFD / Forex trading platform, SWFX and other trading related information,
please call us or make callback request.
For further information regarding potential cooperation,
please call us or make callback request.
To learn more about Dukascopy Bank Binary Options / Forex trading platform, SWFX and other trading related information,
please call us or make callback request.
To learn more about Dukascopy Bank CFD / Forex trading platform, SWFX and other trading related information,
please call us or make callback request.
To learn more about Crypto Trading / CFD / Forex trading platform, SWFX and other trading related information,
please call us or make callback request.
To learn more about Business Introducer and other trading related information,
please call us or make callback request.
For further information regarding potential cooperation,
please call us or make callback request.