Manufacturing activity in the U.S. contracted for the third month in a row in August, the Institute for Supply Management reports. That’s a sign that economic growth has been sluggish and is likely to remain so. The ISM Manufacturing Index dipped ever so slightly to 49.6 last month vs. 49.8 in July. Any reading under 50 implies that manufacturing, a key sector of the economy, is contracting. But the below-50 reading is shallow, which suggests that manufacturing is closer to treading water rather than shrinking per se. That’s hardly an encouraging reading. But given the ongoing growth elsewhere in the economy (assuming it holds up), it’s not yet clear if the moderately weak readings for this indicator are the last word on what happens next for the broader economy.
Daily Archives: September 4, 2012
Major Asset Classes | August 2012 | Performance Review
Most of the major asset classes posted handsome returns in August, delivering another strong month for multi-asset class portfolios along the way. The Global Market Index (GMI), an unrebalanced, market-weighted mix of all the major asset classes, climbed 1.6% last month. For the year so far through August, GMI is ahead by a solid 7.2%.