2025.08.2614:18:30UTC+00US 5th District Manufacturing Beats Expectations

The composite manufacturing index for the US Fifth District increased by 13 points in August 2025, reaching -7, which marks the least severe level of pessimism among factories in the area since March. This figure surpassed market expectations of -17. The data is consistent with other regional Federal Reserve surveys that suggest negative readings might have reached their lowest this year. The decline in new orders eased slightly (-6 compared to -25 in July), leading to a similar trend in shipments (-5 compared to -18) and resulting in a reduction in order backlogs. Consequently, capacity utilization shifted back into positive territory (1 compared to -14). Regarding pricing, the cost of inputs rose significantly (7.24 compared to 5.65), while the rate of increase in prices received remained stable (3.14 compared to 3.16).