ShareIf you have been wondering whether a statistical recovery is at hand, today’s ISM manufacturing report should be the clincher.  The report was definitely bullish with the ISM index rising to 55.7 and sub-components supporting the understanding that the manufacturing sector is expanding. This is quite a contrast to last month’s weak data and demonstrates [...]

ShareThis morning, I ran across a post by Prieur du Plessis, which linked out to a Stephen Roach interview on Charlie Rose.
Roach is the head of Morgan Stanley Asia and has been a voice to listen to when trying to discern where China is headed and how its relationship with the United States will develop. [...]

ShareEarlier today we learned that the Singapore PMI was much weaker than expected for September 2009, coming in at 50.6 versus 54.4 for August. While this demonstrates that the manufacturing sector there is still rising, it is doing so just barely.  This was the lowest reading since April and should be seen as a clear [...]

ShareThe September 2009 Manufacturing ISM Report On Business showed the manufacturing sector and economy expanding.  But no matter, the markets wanted more. Equities sold off in a major way today. We’re talking over 200 points on the Dow and 65 points on the Nasdaq. On the other hand, Treasuries rallied and the yield on the [...]

ShareThe August 2009 Manufacturing ISM Report On Business was released and the widely followed PMI Index came in ahead of expectations at 52.9. Expectations were for 50.5. As 50 marks the divide between contraction and expansion, this survey indicates that U.S. manufacturing is expanding for the first time in years.
This is the strongest reading since [...]

ShareThe Chinese are getting serious about addressing overcapacity that has developed in industry, according to statements released by the state press. This should be seen as a positive development given concerns about a bubble in property and shares and stories of malinvestment related to China’s attempts to reach lofty growth targets.
 China’s State Council said yesterday [...]

ShareToyota, now the world’s largest automaker, has said it would halt production at a plant in Aichi prefecture in Japan, reducing total output by a massive 220,000 cars.  This should be seen as a recognition of the over-capacity tat exists in the auto sector despite other recent upbeat news.
Toyota raised its parent-only production target for [...]

ShareThe Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia released its monthly Business Outlook Survey for August 2009. The numbers showed that the manufacturing sector in the region is in recovery mode right now, with the survey recording its highest level since November 2007, the last month before the recession began.
The region’s manufacturing sector is showing some signs [...]

ShareRight now many economists believe the US economy is poised for recovery.  Even I believe the economy will recover by year’s end. But for the man in the street, things hardly look like a recovery right now. Harried by falling house prices, foreclosure and lost employment, the US consumer is over-indebted and has run out [...]

ShareToday the July 2009 Manufacturing ISM Report On Business was released and the widely followed PMI Index came in ahead of expectations at 48.9.  Any number below 50 represents contraction, so this figure shows that the manufacturing sector in the US contracted for an 18th consecutive month.  Nevertheless, the improvement since the beginning of the [...]