Economy

Chicago Business Barometer Moves Out of Contraction
Written by Sandy Williams
September 3, 2019
The Chicago Business Barometer rose six points in August after two months of contraction. The Index posted a 50.4 last month, compared to 44.4 in July.
MNI Indicators still sees an overall softening in business conditions despite the gains in August. The three-month moving average, a better indicator of conditions, fell to 48.2
Supplier deliveries and Inventories declined in August. Deliveries dropped sharply from 55.6 in July to 50.3 in August. Inventories dropped 11.2 percent to 47.9, indicating destocking by firms.
Production was still muted despite gaining 6.7 points. New orders pulled out of contraction and back into expansion territory.
Factory gate prices rose 3.7 points to a five-month high of 59.8, but were still far from reaching the 12-month high of 79.8.
Sixty-three percent of firms surveyed expect no change in business investment plans for the rest of the year, 27 percent are planning increases and 10 percent reductions. Global uncertainty was cited as the main current concern.

Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Economy

Steel Summit: ITR economist urges execs to prepare for growth, not recession
If the steel industry professionals who made it to the very final presentation of this year’s SMU Steel Summit were expecting another round of cautious forecasting, they were in for a surprise. Because what they got was a wake-up call.

ISM: Manufacturing growth remained down in August
US manufacturing activity remained muted in August despite a marginal gain from July's recent low, according to supply executives contributing to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM)’s latest report.

Steel Summit: Dr. Basu blames tariffs for riskier path ahead
Steel executives packed the main conference hall of the 2025 SMU Steel Summit on Tuesday, Aug. 26, to hear economist Dr. Anirban Basu lay out his blunt view of tariffs, inflation, and demand.

Steel Summit: Schneider sees SDI ‘on the edge of a very good run’
Steel Dynamics Inc. (SDI) President and Chief Operating Officer, Barry Schneider, remains bullish about the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based steelmaker’s position in the current market.

US housing starts gain momentum in July
US housing starts rose in July both month-on-month and year-on-year, according to figures from the US Census Bureau.