U.S. Manufacturing Conditions Grew Significantly more Slowly in February, Narrowing Edge Versus Euroland
March 1, 2019
The ISM-compiled U.S. manufacturing purchasing managers index declined 2.4 index points to 54.2, a 27-month low. That was twice as large as the 1.2-point drop in the IHS-compiled euro area manufacturing PMI to a 68-month low of 49.3. As a result, the differential between the two data series narrowed by 1.2 points to 4.9, as seen in the column below labeled “spread.”
The slower improvement in U.S. manufacturing conditions during February was broadly based. Sub-indices declined last month in production by 5.7 points, orders by 2.7 points, and jobs by 3.0 points. The prices subindex stayed below the 50 level for a second straight month, indicating outright decline. IHS also compiles a U.S. manufacturing purchasing managers index each month, and such fell 1.9 points to an 18-month low of 53.0.
Surprisingly, at the top of the range of national manufacturing PMI readings last month was Greece with a 9-month high of 54.2. Then comes a 2-month Irish PMI high at 54.0, followed by a 32-month low in the Dutch PMI to 52.7 and a 37-month low for the Austrian PMI (51.8). In the bottom half of Euroland’s February leader board were the currency union’s four largest economies: France (a 5-month high of 51.5), Spain (a 63-month low of 49.9), Italy (a 69-month low of 47.7) and Germany (a 74-month low of 47.6). Thus, manufacturing is in recession in Euroland’s largest, third largest, and fourth largest economies.
| Mfg PMIs | U.S. | Euroland | Spread | EUR/USD |
| Jan 2013 | 53.1 | 47.9 | +5.2 | 1.330 |
| February | 53.1 | 47.9 | +5.2 | 1.334 |
| March | 51.5 | 46.8 | +4.7 | 1.295 |
| April | 50.0 | 46.7 | +3.3 | 1.301 |
| May | 50.0 | 48.3 | +1.7 | 1.299 |
| June | 52.5 | 48.8 | +3.7 | 1.319 |
| July | 54.9 | 50.3 | +4.6 | 1.309 |
| August | 56.3 | 51.4 | +4.9 | 1.331 |
| September | 56.0 | 51.1 | +4.9 | 1.335 |
| October | 56.6 | 51.3 | +5.3 | 1.364 |
| November | 57.0 | 51.6 | +5.4 | 1.349 |
| December | 56.5 | 52.7 | +3.8 | 1.370 |
| Jan 2014 | 51.3 | 54.0 | -2.7 | 1.361 |
| February | 54.3 | 53.2 | +1.1 | 1.366 |
| March | 54.4 | 53.0 | +1.4 | 1.380 |
| April | 55.3 | 53.4 | +1.9 | 1.380 |
| May | 55.6 | 52.2 | +3.4 | 1.374 |
| June | 55.7 | 51.8 | +3.9 | 1.360 |
| July | 56.4 | 51.8 | +4.6 | 1.354 |
| August | 58.1 | 50.7 | +7.4 | 1.332 |
| September | 56.1 | 50.3 | +5.8 | 1.290 |
| October | 57.9 | 50.6 | +7.3 | 1.268 |
| November | 57.6 | 50.1 | +7.5 | 1.247 |
| December | 55.1 | 50.6 | +4.5 | 1.232 |
| Jan 2015 | 53.5 | 51.0 | +2.5 | 1.162 |
| February | 53.3 | 51.0 | +2.3 | 1.135 |
| March | 52.3 | 52.2 | +0.1 | 1.083 |
| April | 51.6 | 52.0 | -0.4 | 1.081 |
| May | 53.1 | 52.2 | +0.9 | 1.116 |
| June | 53.1 | 52.5 | +0.6 | 1.123 |
| July | 51.9 | 52.4 | -0.5 | 1.101 |
| August September October | 51.0 50.0 49.4 | 52.3 52.0 52.3 | -1.3 -2.0 -2.9 | 1.114 1.123 1.121 |
| November December Jan 2016 February March April May June July August September October November December Jan 2017 February March April May June July August Sept October Nov Dec Jan 18 Feb March April May June July August Sept Oct November Dec Jan 2019 February | 48.4 48.0 48.2 49.7 51.7 50.7 51.0 52.8 52.8 49.4 51.7 52.0 53.5 54.5 56.0 57.6 56.8 55.3 55.5 56.7 56.5 59.3 60.2 58.5 58.2 59.3 59.1 60.7 59.3 57.9 58.7 60.0 58.4 60.8 59.5 57.5 58.8 54.3 56.6 54.2 | 52.8 53.2 52.3 51.2 51.6 51.7 51.5 52.8 52.0 51.7 52.6 53.5 53.7 54.9 55.2 55.4 56.2 56.7 57.0 57.4 56.6 57.4 58.1 58.5 60.1 60.6 59.6 58.6 56.6 56.2 55.5 54.9 55.1 54.6 53.2 52.0 51.8 51.4 50.5 49.3 | -4.4 -4.8 -4.1 -1.5 +0.1 -1.0 -0.5 0.0 +0.8 -2.3 -0.9 -1.5 -0.2 -0.4 +0.8 +2.2 +0.6 -1.4 -1.5 -0.7 -0.1 +1.9 +2.1 0.0 -1.9 -1.3 -0.5 +2.1 +2.7 +1.7 +3.2 +5.1 +3.3 +6.2 +6.3 +5.5 +7.0 +2.9 +6.1 +4.9 | 1.076 1.090 1.087 1.111 1.114 1.134 1.130 1.124 1.106 1.120 1.121 1.103 1.078 1.054 1.063 1.064 1.069 1.072 1.106 1.124 1.153 1.182 1.191 1.176 1.174 1.184 1.220 1.234 1.234 1.227 1.181 1.167 1.169 1.155 1.166 1.148 1.136 1.138 1.142 1.135 |
Copyright 2019, Larry Greenberg. All rights reserved. No secondary distribution without express permission.
ShareThis
