NMI Cracks Appear

The non-manufacturing (services) ISM is still growing but prices and new export orders both plunged into contraction. Moreover, 8 out of 18 industries fell into outright contraction.

The Econoday Consensus Estimate was for a slight decline to 55.5 from 55.8 but once again economists were on the optimistic side. ISM reports a reading dip to 53.5. While still growing, this report portends significant, and growing weakness.

Monthly growth is slowing noticeably in ISM’s non-manufacturing sample. The composite index for January fell a sharp 2.3 points to 53.5 from December’s revised 55.8 which is 2 points below the Econoday consensus. Slowing is most apparent in output (as measured by the business activity component) with employment growth also slowing sharply, to 52.1 for a 4.2 point dip. However new orders, at 56.5, remain solidly above breakeven 50 though here to there is slowing, from December’s 58.9. Supplier deliveries, the fourth component of the composite, slowed in the month in a sign of congestion in the supply chain in what is an offsetting positive for the month.

Weakness is signaled by both contraction in import orders, which points to business caution among U.S. businesses, and also for export orders, the result of weak foreign markets and the negative effects of the strong dollar. Input prices, which have been subdued, fell in the month.

Through much of last year, this report was among the most resilient, consistently pointing to steady strength that for the most part proved correct. Today’s declines, along with the dip in the PMI services report released earlier this morning, unfortunately hint at soft growth for the first quarter while this report’s employment index, hitting its lowest point since January last year, points to modest disappointment for Friday’s employment report.

Let’s dive into the NMI Report for more details.

Non-Manufacturing NMI January vs. December