October S&P Global U.S. Manufacturing PMI: First Decline Since June 2020

Summary

• The November S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI came in at 47.7, down 2.7 from the final October figure and in contraction territory for the first time since June 2020.
• S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI is a diffusion index.
• A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector; below 50 indicates contraction.

Athitat Shinagowin/iStock via Getty Images

By Jill Mislinski

The November S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI came in at 47.7, down 2.7 from the final October figure and in contraction territory for the first time since June 2020. S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI is a diffusion index: A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the sector; below 50 indicates contraction.

Here is an excerpt from IHS Markit in their latest press release:

Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence, said:

"A combination of the rising cost of living, higher interest rates and growing recession fears have led to slumping demand for goods in both the home-market and abroad. Companies are consequently cutting production at a rate not seen since the global financial crisis, if the initial pandemic lockdowns are excluded. However, even with the latest production cuts, the downturn in demand has still led to one of the largest increases in unsold stock recorded since survey data were first available 15 years ago, which suggests that companies will continue to reduce production in the coming months to bring these inventories down to more manageable levels.

"Likewise, companies are slashing their purchases of inputs and raw materials at a rate not seen outside of the pandemic since the global financial crisis.

"This slump in demand is increasingly manifesting itself in a shift from a sellers'- to a buyers'-market for a wide variety of goods, as evidenced by improving supply chains, meaning price pressures are now abating rapidly.

"While supply chain worries persist, notably in relation to China's lockdowns, companies' concerns are increasingly moving away from the supply side to focusing on the darkening outlook for demand, meaning the business mood remains among the gloomiest seen over the past decade." [Press Release]

Here is a snapshot of the series since mid-2012.

Here is an overlay with the equivalent PMI survey conducted by the Institute for Supply Management (see our full article on this series here).

The next chart uses a three-month moving average of the two rather volatile series to facilitate our understanding of the current trend.

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Editor's Note: The summary bullets for this article were chosen by Seeking Alpha editors.