A sharp rise in the September Chicago Business Barometer indicates a strong fourth quarter for manufacturing. The Barometer rose to 65.2 from 58.9 in August for its second highest level in more than three years. The average reading for the third quarter was a solid 61.0, steady with the second quarter’s three-year high of 61.1. […]
The MNI Chicago Business Barometer was unchanged in August at 58.9 after a July plunge that ended five months of increases. Slight gains in production and orders were offset by declines in backlogs, employment and supplier deliveries. The inventory loss was significant, dropping the index 6.4 points to end in contraction and the lowest reading […]
The Chicago Business Barometer dropped nearly 7 points in July, falling to 58.9 from 65.7 in June and ending a run of five consecutive increases. All components of the indicator receded, but remained above 12-month averages. The July Barometer “should be viewed in the context of the underlying, upward trend in business sentiment witnessed since […]
The Chicago Business Barometer took a giant leap in June, expanding from 59.4 in May to 65.7. The Barometer, which is designed to predict future changes in gross domestic product, was at its highest level since 2014. The average score for second quarter was 61.1, significantly stronger than the average of 55.1 in Q1. The […]
The Chicago Business Barometer hits its highest level since January, increasing from 58.3 in April to a reading of 59.5 in May. New orders fell 4.5 points to 61.4 but production gained 3.7 points for an index reading of 62.3. Order backlogs pulled from contraction after five months of decline. Delivery times for inputs lengthened […]
The Chicago Business Barometer in April reached its highest level since January 2015, posting a score of 58.3 from 57.7 in March. Growing demand for manufactured products pushed new orders up 5.5 points to a near three-year high. The production index in April was at another high level although receding slightly to 59.5 from 61.7. […]
The MNI Chicago Business Barometer only moved up slightly in March after a surge in points in February. The March reading was 57.7, up from 57.4. Increases were reported in new order and production with indexes reaching 4 and 14 month highs, respectively. Order backlogs increased for the third month but were still below the […]
The February Chicago Business Barometer reached its highest reading since January 2016. The Barometer rose 7.1 points to 57.4 buoyed by optimism and gains in new orders and production. Four of the five components of the Barometer increased in February. New orders rose 10.1 points after slipping below the 50 neutral mark in January. Production […]
The Chicago Business Barometer lost 3.6 points in January, registering 50.3 from a revised 53.9 in December. The Barometer was at its lowest level since May 2016, after a strong fourth quarter averaging 54.3, said MNI Indicators. New orders fell by 7.8 points dipping into contraction and dragging down the composite index. Production fell 2.3 […]
The Chicago Business Barometer fell 3 points in December to register 54.6. The Barometer has averaged 54.3 during fourth quarter, the highest in two years, and suggests that economic conditions have improved somewhat, said MNI Indicators. The index for New Orders lost 6.7 points giving up the gains it made in November that pushed the […]
The November Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI as it is also known, leapt 7 points from October to register 57.6. The reading was the highest since January 2015 with four of the five components of the index showing improvement. On a three month moving average the index increased two points to 54.1. New orders […]
Economic activity in October lost some of the momentum gained in third quarter, according to the latest survey by MNI Indicators. The Chicago Business Barometer fell 3.6 points to a five month low of 50.6 in October. The three month moving average was at 52.1, down from 53.8 in September. Production dropped 5.4 points from […]
The September Chicago Business Barometer indicated that production was at its highest level since January of this year. The Barometer rose 2.7 points to 54.2 on strong gains in production. The production index jumped 7.3 points to 59.8 while new orders remained unchanged from August. Backlogs remained below the neutral point of 50. Supplier deliveries […]
Business activity fell in the Chicago area in August. The MNI Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI as commonly called, dropped 4.3 points to register 51.5. The decline was steeper than expected by economists. “Economic activity slowed down into the summer, suggesting June’s momentum was only a temporary revival in activity. Overall, it wasn’t a […]
The Chicago Business Barometer lost one point in July to register 55.8 after a year and a half high of 56.8 in June, according to MNI Indicators. New orders fell 3.9 points to 59.3 but kept most of June’s gains. Order backlogs, at a high last month, remained above the 50 neutral mark. Inventories grew […]
The Chicago Business Barometer jumped 7.5 points to 56.8 in June for its highest reading since January 2015, according to MNI Indicators. The Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI, is a measure of economic activity in the Chicago area based on survey responses of purchasing managers in the region. Although the rebound was welcomed, it […]
Manufacturing continues to be sluggish in the Midwest according to the latest survey by MNI Indicators. The MNI Chicago Business Barometer dropped back into contraction for a reading of 49.3, the lowest level since February and the sixth time below 50 in the past 12 months. Both new orders and production fell below 50 between […]
The Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI, dropped 3.2 points to 50.4 in April indicating a slow start to the second quarter. New orders and order backlogs both fell sharply during the month. Inventories, which have been relatively stable in the past few months, increased to their highest point since October 2015 but were still […]
The Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI as it is commonly called, surged six points in March to 53.6. The bounce back from February’s 8 point contraction was due to strong gains in production, new orders and order backlogs. The employment index rose above 50 in March to its highest level since April 2015. Inventories […]
The Chicago Business Barometer surprised economists with an 8 point tumble to 47.6 in February after increasing to 55.6 in January. Sharp declines in production in new orders contributed to the weaker readings. Economists expected a milder decline to 53; a reading below 50 indicates a contraction in business activity. As new orders dropped sharply, […]
The Chicago Business Barometer bounced back in January after a surprise drop in December. The index rose 12.7 points to 55.6 from the previous reading of 42.9. The welcome surge followed a weak quarter averaging 47.7, the lowest average since Q3 2009. January’s increase, however, may not be sustainable said Chief Economist of MNI Indicators […]
The Chicago Business Barometer (or Chicago PMI) fell at its fastest rate since 2009, down 5.8 points to 42.9 in December. The drop took analysts by surprise who were projecting a reading in the 48 to 50 range. MNI Indicators notes that the December reading is 16.5 points below the January 2015 high of 59.4. […]
The Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI as it is commonly called, fell 7.5 points in November to 48.7. A decline in new orders put the Index back into contraction for its sixth time this year. The index, an indicator of business demand in the Chicago area, has been volatile throughout 2015 giving less credence […]
The Chicago Business Barometer gained 7.5 points to register 56.2 in October. The bounceback was due mainly from strong gains in production and new orders. All three indicators were at their highest reading since January of this year. On a three month moving average the Barometer was 53.1, up 15.4 percent from September. Production leapt […]
The Chicago Business Barometer, or Chicago PMI as it is more commonly known, surprised economists by dropping 5.7 points to 48.7 in September The decline follows two months of expansion and the speed of descent is a cause for concern said MNI Indicators. The production index plummeted by double digits to its lowest level since […]
The Chicago Business Barometer stayed fairly steady in August, falling from 54.7 in July to 54.4. Chief Economist of MNI Indicators Philip Uglow said, “It was pretty much steady as she goes in August with orders and output just about holding on to July‘s gains. While the slowdown earlier in the year looks temporary, we‘re […]
The Chicago Business Barometer pulled out of contraction in July with a gain of 5.3 points to register 54.7, indicating an expansion in manufacturing activity. Production rose by 12 points to 61.8 accompanied by a strong gain in new orders. Both production and new orders expanded at the fastest pace since January. Employment levels, order […]
The June Chicago Business Barometer gained back half of May’s losses but remained in contraction for the second consecutive month and the fourth so far this year. The Barometer rose 3.2 points to 49.4 from 46.2 in May. Overall, the barometer declined 1.2 points in second quarter, registering 49.3 from 50.5 in Q1, its lowest […]
The Chicago Business Barometer lost its gains of April, falling back into contraction in May. The Barometer dropped 6.1 points to a reading of 45.2, down from 52.3 last month. The Barometer began slipping in October 2014 from its high of 55.2. Its strongest reading in 2015 was in January at 59.4 before plunging to […]
The Chicago Business Barometer rose 6 points to 52.3 in April, beating analyst expectations for a reading of 50. The index fell to a five and a half year low in February before bouncing up five points to 46.3 in March. The index grew in four of its five components in April with New Orders […]