ISM: U.S. Manufacturing Expanded in Jan, PMI at 52.6

ISM: U.S. Manufacturing Expanded in Jan, PMI at 52.6


   ISM: U.S. Manufacturing Expanded in Jan, PMI at 52.6

   
Karim Bastati
DTN Analyst

   VIENNA (DTN) -- A key U.S. purchasing managers index released on Monday 
(2/2) showed that manufacturing activity expanded last month for the first time 
in eleven months.

   The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index of the Institute for Supply 
Management stood at 52.6 in January, up from 47.9 recorded in December, marking 
the highest reading since August 2022.

   The increase followed four months of decline. It was also the first time 
since February 2025 that the reading was above the 50-point mark that separates 
the positive and negative constituencies for the index.

   This is not the first time ISM's manufacturing PMI broke out of a prolonged 
period of contraction. The year-long sub-50 spell followed expansions in 
January and February of 2025, which were preceded by 26 straight months of 
contraction.

   The rise in U.S. manufacturing activity was attributed, in part, to growth 
in new orders and production.

   The New Orders Index flipped into expansion territory after five months of 
contraction, jumping 9.7 points to 57.1.

   "In January, U.S. manufacturing activity returned to expansion territory, 
with improvements in all five subindexes that make up the PMI (New Orders, 
Production, Employment, Supplier Deliveries, and Inventories), though the 
Employment and Inventories indexes still remain in contraction," said Susan 
Spence, chair of the ISM Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.

   Nine manufacturing industries reported growth in January. Petroleum and coal 
products were among the eight manufacturing industries surveyed reporting 
contraction.

   In January, the production index rose 5.2 points to 55.9 points to 51, and 
the backlog of orders index rose 5.8 points to 51.6, the highest since August 
2022.

   The U.S. dollar index moved higher following the release of the data and at 
97.4 was up 0.541 points on the day.




(c) Copyright 2026 DTN, LLC. All rights reserved.