- Prior was 46.5
- Prices Paid 50.3 vs 54.8 prior
- New Orders 50.4 vs 47.1 prior -- returned to expansion
- Production 46.8 vs 46.2 prior
- Employment 48.1 vs 44.4 prior
- Supplier Deliveries 48.7 vs 52.0 prior
- Inventories 48.1 vs 42.6 prior
- Backlog of Orders 41.8 vs 42.3 prior
- New Export Orders 48.7 vs 45.5 prior
- Imports 47.6 vs 48.3 prior
- Customers' Inventories 48.4 vs 46.8 prior
The US dollar has ticked up to the best levels of the day in the aftermath of the report.
Comments in the report:
- “High mortgage rates continue to hamper demand for new housing construction, which is a key market for adhesives and sealants.” [Chemical Products]
- “Business remains slow. We anticipate that the first half of 2025 will be similar and hope that demand increases in the second half of 2025.” [Transportation Equipment]
- “Inflation, even after easing, continues to impact demand. Consumers are looking for value, and purchasing behaviors are changing as many shoppers reduce consumption, causing softer volume.” [Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products]
- “Backlog is rising precipitously after 18 months of troughing. The long-awaited pent-up buying has started. Competition for qualified technical labor is a constraint on operational throughput.” [Computer & Electronic Products]
- “A general construction slowdown in the fourth quarter has created a surplus of finished goods, creating the need for an extra two weeks of shutdown over the Christmas holiday period. We are carefully watching demand in the first quarter to determine if more permanent workforce reductions will be necessary.” [Machinery]
- “Business is slowing as customers destock and appear uncertain about near-term demand. Preliminary forecast for 2025 is down significantly; we hope to see improvements now that we are beyond U.S. election uncertainties.” [Fabricated Metal Products]
- “Our supplier has a positive outlook on the U.S. economy going into 2025. Our business is seeing an uptick in sales forecasts for the first quarter of 2025 versus the fourth quarter of 2024. Overall, our outlook for 2025 is optimistic.” [Textile Mills]
- “We’re finally seeing traction in the last few weeks (with) a higher volume of orders. Backlog is starting to grow.” [Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components]
- “Late to the game, we are now working on our buying plan in light of potential increased tariffs on imports from China. Cost and capacity of U.S. manufacturing is a concern; a lack of relationship with alternate low-cost international manufacturers is another.” [Miscellaneous Manufacturing]
- “After the election, we have seen an uptick in customers wanting to come back to the U.S. for making their products. We are working through these inquiries. They seem very motivated.” [Primary Metals]
