Manufacturing continues to be sluggish in the Midwest according to the latest survey by MNI Indicators. The MNI Chicago Business Barometer dropped back into contraction for a reading of 49.3, the lowest level since February and the sixth time below 50 in the past 12 months. Both new orders and production fell below 50 between […]
The Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI, dropped 3.2 points to 50.4 in April indicating a slow start to the second quarter. New orders and order backlogs both fell sharply during the month. Inventories, which have been relatively stable in the past few months, increased to their highest point since October 2015 but were still […]
The Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI as it is commonly called, surged six points in March to 53.6. The bounce back from February’s 8 point contraction was due to strong gains in production, new orders and order backlogs. The employment index rose above 50 in March to its highest level since April 2015. Inventories […]
The Chicago Business Barometer surprised economists with an 8 point tumble to 47.6 in February after increasing to 55.6 in January. Sharp declines in production in new orders contributed to the weaker readings. Economists expected a milder decline to 53; a reading below 50 indicates a contraction in business activity. As new orders dropped sharply, […]
The Chicago Business Barometer bounced back in January after a surprise drop in December. The index rose 12.7 points to 55.6 from the previous reading of 42.9. The welcome surge followed a weak quarter averaging 47.7, the lowest average since Q3 2009. January’s increase, however, may not be sustainable said Chief Economist of MNI Indicators […]
The Chicago Business Barometer (or Chicago PMI) fell at its fastest rate since 2009, down 5.8 points to 42.9 in December. The drop took analysts by surprise who were projecting a reading in the 48 to 50 range. MNI Indicators notes that the December reading is 16.5 points below the January 2015 high of 59.4. […]
The Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI as it is commonly called, fell 7.5 points in November to 48.7. A decline in new orders put the Index back into contraction for its sixth time this year. The index, an indicator of business demand in the Chicago area, has been volatile throughout 2015 giving less credence […]
The Chicago Business Barometer gained 7.5 points to register 56.2 in October. The bounceback was due mainly from strong gains in production and new orders. All three indicators were at their highest reading since January of this year. On a three month moving average the Barometer was 53.1, up 15.4 percent from September. Production leapt […]
The Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI as it is more commonly known, surprised economists by dropping 5.7 points to 48.7 in September The decline follows two months of expansion and the speed of descent is a cause for concern said MNI Indicators. The production index plummeted by double digits to its lowest level since […]
The Chicago Business Barometer stayed fairly steady in August, falling from 54.7 in July to 54.4. Chief Economist of MNI Indicators Philip Uglow said, “It was pretty much steady as she goes in August with orders and output just about holding on to July‘s gains. While the slowdown earlier in the year looks temporary, we‘re […]
The Chicago Business Barometer pulled out of contraction in July with a gain of 5.3 points to register 54.7, indicating an expansion in manufacturing activity. Production rose by 12 points to 61.8 accompanied by a strong gain in new orders. Both production and new orders expanded at the fastest pace since January. Employment levels, order […]
The June Chicago Business Barometer gained back half of May’s losses but remained in contraction for the second consecutive month and the fourth so far this year. The Barometer rose 3.2 points to 49.4 from 46.2 in May. Overall, the barometer declined 1.2 points in second quarter, registering 49.3 from 50.5 in Q1, its lowest […]
The Chicago Business Barometer lost its gains of April, falling back into contraction in May. The Barometer dropped 6.1 points to a reading of 45.2, down from 52.3 last month. The Barometer began slipping in October 2014 from its high of 55.2. Its strongest reading in 2015 was in January at 59.4 before plunging to […]
The Chicago Business Barometer rose 6 points to 52.3 in April, beating analyst expectations for a reading of 50. The index fell to a five and a half year low in February before bouncing up five points to 46.3 in March. The index grew in four of its five components in April with New Orders […]
The Chicago Business Barometer rose slightly in March after hitting a five and a half year low in February. The MNI Indicators survey of purchasing and supply professionals rose 0.5 points to 46.3 in March. However, any level below 50.0 indicates business conditions are shrinking and not increasing so the 46.3 number is not a […]
The Chicago Business Barometer fell to a five and one-half year low in February. The MNI Indicators survey of purchasing and supply professionals plunged 13.6 points to 45.8 in February. It was the first contraction of the Barometer since April 2013 and the lowest level since July 2009. The West Coast port slowdown and frigid […]
The Chicago Business Barometer rose 0.6 points in January to 59.4 from a revised reading of 58.8 in December. The increased manufacturing activity follows two consecutive months of declines. The index showed a modest increase in a new orders, order backlogs and production, driving employment to a 14-month high. Inflationary pressures eased for the fourth […]
The Chicago Business Barometer dropped 5.4 points to 60.8 in November, wiping out October’s sharp increase, and moving closer to September’s level of 60.5. Manufacturing growth continues but at a slower pace. New orders slid 11.7 points to 61.9 following a one year high in October. Overall, barring an unexpected December decline, orders should be […]
The Chicago Business Barometer surprised economists with jump to 66.2 from 60.5 in September, well above the forecast decline to 60.0. The reading on this month’s purchasing manager index was the highest since October 2013. The index average for third quarter was 59.1 but in the last three months the index has averaged 63.6—an indicator […]
The Chicago Business Barometer fell 3.8 points to 60.5 in September. The headline index in the report by MNI Indicators was lower than economist predictions of 62.0 report but well above the neutral 50 reading. The average Barometer reading for third quarter was 59.1, indicating a healthy growth for the economy. Production and new orders […]
The Chicago Business Barometer rebounded in August to 64.3, gaining 11.7 points and making up the decline in July’s Purchasing Manager Index (PMI). The August jump confirmed that July’s weakness was only temporary, according to Philip Uglow, Chief Economist at MNI Indicators. Production rose by 20 points to its greatest monthly increase in ten years. […]
The Chicago Business Barometer plunged 10 points to 52.6 in July, falling at the quickest rate since October 2008 and to the lowest level since June 2013. The fall surprised Bloomberg economists who were expecting the Index to rise slightly to 63 from a reading of 62.6 in June. The decline was attributed to a […]
The Chicago Business Barometer slipped 2.9 points to 62.6 in June, but the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) and MNI Indicators says the barometer continues to be high and “consistent with a bounceback in Q2 GDP.” The barometer gained momentum in Q2 to an average reading of 63.7, staying above 60 for three months in […]
The Chicago Business Barometer reached its highest level since October, climbing 2.5 point to 65.5. The new reading, when taken with other economic indicators, shows a strong recovery in the second quarter after a lackluster start to the year. This is good news for the flat rolled steel industry in North America. With winter finally […]
Economic data released in April indicated signs of slower growth in the economy. Survey participants, however, continue to be optimistic about business activity during the next three to six months. The Architecture Billings Index fell to 48.8 in April, indicating contraction after hovering just above the neutral point for the last two months. The protracted […]
The Chicago Business Barometer increased at its fastest pace in six months to a reading of 63.0 in April from 59.9. The three month moving average registers just below 60 which is an indication of continued recovery for economy. New orders and production led the rise in activity along with improvements in order backlogs and […]
The March Chicago Business Barometer slid to its lowest level since August, down 3.9 points to 55.9. The Barometer averaged 58.4 during the first quarter of 2014 indicating recovery but was down from the 2.5 year high of 63.3 in Q4 2013. First quarter results were likely impacted by the harsh weather during the quarter. […]
New residential sales of single-family homes dropped in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 440,000 according to estimates by the Commerce Department. Sales were 3.3 percent below the revised January rate of 455,000 and 1.1 percent below the February 2013 estimate of 445,000. Inventory was still tight at 189,000, a 5.2 month supply. […]
The Chicago Business Barometer indicated firm growth in February while remaining essentially unchanged at 59.8 in February compared to 59.6 in January, according to MNI Indicators. Production, new orders, and backlogs expanded at a slower rate offsetting double digit growth in employment. Prices paid dropped in February following price increases by suppliers in January. Inventories […]
The Chicago PMI slipped 1.2 points to 59.6 in January from a revised 60.8 in December. The index, formally known as the Chicago Business Barometer, fell for the third consecutive month but was still firmly above the 50.0 mark that indicates expansion. Employment weakened in January to a reading of 49.2, slipping into contraction for […]