Global| Sep 01 2004Global Manufacturing Growth Pauses in August; Output Prices Firming
Summary
Growth in global manufacturing activity slowed in August, maintaining a kind of seesaw pattern that has prevailed all year long. The global Purchasing Managers' Index was 55.8, easing from 57.2 in July. The Euro-Zone's index was 53.9, [...]
Growth in global manufacturing activity slowed in August, maintaining a kind of seesaw pattern that has prevailed all year long. The global Purchasing Managers' Index was 55.8, easing from 57.2 in July. The Euro-Zone's index was 53.9, down from 54.7, and that in Japan was 54.9, off from 55.5. Several countries in Europe showed similarly modest back-steps, most less than a percentage point. Indexes in Greece and Spain eked out small advances.
New orders and output were responsible for the restraint, as they generally reversed pick-ups that had occurred in July. Employment behavior was uneven, as it held nearly steady in the Euro-Zone, the UK and Japan, but slowed more noticeably in the US.
Prices continue to hold attention. Input prices are technically down in this survey, falling to 66.6 in the Euro-Zone in August from 70.2 in July. But these are, of course, very high levels, which show that most companies are experiencing rising materials costs, presumably mainly oil-related. In Europe, this is exerting upward pressure on output prices, which gained a bit in August to their highest index level in the brief, 21-month history of this component. In Japan, likewise, output prices, "charges", reached 50.5 in August, their first reading above 50 in the 3-year span of this survey item.
The international PMI surveys are conducted locally, and coordinated by NTC Research, a London firm; release is made through Reuters. Data for non-US countries are contained in Haver's PMI database, with some items in INTSRVYS, our new international survey compilation.
Carol Stone, CBE
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Carol Stone, CBE came to Haver Analytics in 2003 following more than 35 years as a financial market economist at major Wall Street financial institutions, most especially Merrill Lynch and Nomura Securities. She has broad experience in analysis and forecasting of flow-of-funds accounts, the federal budget and Federal Reserve operations. At Nomura Securites, among other duties, she developed various indicator forecasting tools and edited a daily global publication produced in London and New York for readers in Tokyo. At Haver Analytics, Carol is a member of the Research Department, aiding database managers with research and documentation efforts, as well as posting commentary on select economic reports. In addition, she conducts Ways-of-the-World, a blog on economic issues for an Episcopal-Church-affiliated website, The Geranium Farm. During her career, Carol served as an officer of the Money Marketeers and the Downtown Economists Club. She has a PhD from NYU's Stern School of Business. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, and has a weekend home on Long Island.
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