Jeff Berman, Group News Editor

Latest from Jeff

ISM May Semiannual Report calls for growth in 2024, at a reduced rate

Wednesday, May 15, 2024 · Jeff Berman As was the case in its previous edition in December, the manufacturing and services sectors remain on diverging paths, to a certain extent, in May. One common theme the sectors share, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) May 2024 Semiannual Economic…

April Services PMI declines following 15 months of growth, reports ISM

Monday, May 6, 2024 · Jeff Berman The Services PMI, at 49.4 (a reading of 50 or higher signals growth) fell 2.0%. The last time the index contracted was in December 2022, when it came in at 49 and prior to that the last month seeing contraction was in May 2020, when it came in at 45.4.

April manufacturing output slides after growing in March

Wednesday, May 1, 2024 · Jeff Berman The April PMI is 1.5% above the 12-month average of 47.7, with March’s 50.3 marking the high over that period and June 2023 marking the lowest, at 46.4.

Q1 sees a solid finish with positive U.S.-bound import growth, notes S&P Global Market Intelligence

Wednesday, May 1, 2024 · Jeff Berman March imports, at 2.489 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units), posted a 16% annual gain, and first quarter imports, at 7.537 million TEU, rose 15% annually, amid various supply chain disruptions.

ISM reports that services sector sees continued growth in March

Wednesday, April 3, 2024 · Jeff Berman The Services PMI, at 51.5 (a reading of 50 or higher signals growth), fell 1.2% in March, while growing, at a slower rate, for the 15th consecutive month.

ISM reports manufacturing sees growth in March, snaps 16-month stretch of contraction

Tuesday, April 2, 2024 · Jeff Berman The report’s benchmark metric, the PMI came in at 50.3 (a reading of 50 or higher indicates growth), topping March’s 47.8, and contracting after 16 months of declines. ISM added that the overall economy grew, at a faster rate, in March, for the 47th consecutive month. The…

February and year-to-date U.S. import volume is solid, reports S&P Global Market Intelligence

Monday, March 25, 2024 · Jeff Berman February imports, at 2.44 million TEU (Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units) increased 21% compared to February 2023. And when taking into account, the timing of the Lunar New Year, coupled with the impact of ongoing Red Sea and Panama Canal disruptions, the firm explained that…

2024 retail sales forecast calls for growth, says National Retail Federation

Thursday, March 21, 2024 · Jeff Berman NRF is pegging 2024 retail sales to increase between 2.5%-to-3.5% to between $5.23 trillion and $5.28 trillion. Should this forecast come to fruition, NRF said that it would top 2023 retail sales, which rose 3.6% to $5.1 trillion.

February retail sales see annual and sequential gains, reports Commerce and NRF

Thursday, March 14, 2024 · Jeff Berman Commerce reported that February retail sales, at $700.7 billion, rose 0.6% compared to January and were up 1.5% annually.

ISM reports another month of services sector growth in February

Tuesday, March 5, 2024 · Jeff Berman The Services PMI, at 52.6 (a reading of 50 or higher signals growth), fell 0.8% in February, while growing, at a slower rate, for the 14th consecutive month. This marks growth in 44 of the last 45 months, with December 2022 being the one month with a decline over that period.

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