Reply #42: U.S. manufacturing sector growth slows in March [View All]

[UpInArms]

http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=bondsNews&storyID=2006-04-03T140814Z_01_N03342656_RTRIDST_0_ECONOMY-MANUFACTURING-URGENT.XML

NEW YORK, April 3 (Reuters) - U.S. factory activity ran at
its slowest pace for three months in March, as new orders fell
and inflation flared up, according to a survey on Monday.

The Institute for Supply Management said its index of
national factory activity fell to 55.2 in March from 56.7 in
February, falling short of economists' forecasts for a rise to
57.9.

A reading above 50 indicates growth in the factory sector.
The ISM index has held above this level for about three years
in a row now, but this was the lowest reading since December.

The new orders component, a gauge of future growth, fell to
58.4 from 61.9 in February, while the employment index dropped
to 52.5 from 55.0 the month before.

The prices paid index, which measures inflationary
pressures within the factory sector, rose to 66.5 in March, the
highest reading since November for this component, from 62.5 in
February.