The first batch of September’s economic reports are out and they suggest that the economy continued expanding last month. The ISM manufacturing and services indices (released on Friday and yesterday, respectively) show an economy that’s still growing. It’s a mistake to read too much into these numbers, given the challenges that still confront the U.S. There are also several weeks of September reports to digest in the month ahead. But the early signs from the ISM benchmarks, at least, offer support for cautious optimism.