Global| Sep 06 2007U.S. ISM Nonmanufacturing Index Unchanged
by:Tom Moeller
|in:Economy in Brief
Summary
The non-manufacturing sector Business Activity Index for August was unchanged from its July level of 55.8, according to the Institute for Supply Management. Consensus expectations had been for a decline to 54.5. Since the series' [...]
The non-manufacturing sector Business Activity Index for August was unchanged from its July level of 55.8, according to the Institute for Supply Management. Consensus expectations had been for a decline to 54.5.
Since the series' inception in 1997 there has been a 46% correlation between the level of the Business Activity Index and the Q/Q change in real GDP for services plus construction.
The employment sub index, however, fell a sizable 3.8 points to 47.9. The latest figure, if it holds, would indicate declines in employment; it followed a 3.3 point drop in July. Since the series' inception in 1997 there has been a 56% correlation between the level of the ISM non-manufacturing employment index and the m/m change in payroll employment in the service producing plus the construction industries.
Offsetting this decline was a 4.2 point increase in the new orders index to 57.0 and the latest indicates growth in new orders.
Pricing power slipped for the third month to its lowest level since February. Since inception eight years ago, there has been a 70% correlation between the price index and the y/y change in the GDP services chain price index.
ISM surveys more than 370 purchasing managers in more than 62 industries including construction, law firms, hospitals, government and retailers. The non-manufacturing survey dates back to July 1997.The Business Activity Index for the non-manufacturing sector reflects a question separate from the subgroups mentioned above. In contrast, the NAPM manufacturing sector composite index is a weighted average of five components.
| ISM Nonmanufacturing Survey | August | July | August '06 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Activity Index | 55.8 | 55.8 | 56.9 | 58.0 | 60.2 | 62.5 |
| Prices Index | 58.6 | 61.3 | 71.9 | 65.2 | 68.0 | 68.8 |
Tom Moeller
AuthorMore in Author Profile »Prior to joining Haver Analytics in 2000, Mr. Moeller worked as the Economist at Chancellor Capital Management from 1985 to 1999. There, he developed comprehensive economic forecasts and interpreted economic data for equity and fixed income portfolio managers. Also at Chancellor, Mr. Moeller worked as an equity analyst and was responsible for researching and rating companies in the economically sensitive automobile and housing industries for investment in Chancellor’s equity portfolio. Prior to joining Chancellor, Mr. Moeller was an Economist at Citibank from 1979 to 1984. He also analyzed pricing behavior in the metals industry for the Council on Wage and Price Stability in Washington, D.C. In 1999, Mr. Moeller received the award for most accurate forecast from the Forecasters' Club of New York. From 1990 to 1992 he was President of the New York Association for Business Economists. Mr. Moeller earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Fordham University, where he graduated in 1987. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from George Washington University.
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