Financial News: U.S. Manufacturing Index Unexpectedly Unchanged In April

U.S. Manufacturing Index Unexpectedly Unchanged In April

05/01/2026 - 10:45:00 (RTTNews)

(RTTNews) - Manufacturing activity in the U.S. expanded for the fourth consecutive month in April, according to a report released by the Institute for Supply Management on Friday.

The ISM said its manufacturing PMI came in at 52.7 in April, unchanged from March. While a reading above 50 still indicates growth, economists had expected the index to inch up to 53.0.

"The ISM manufacturing index was steadfast in April and is still resilient to any negative sentiment surrounding the unfolding US/Israel-Iran war," said Bernard Yaros, Lead U.S. Economist at Oxford Economics.

He added, "New orders, combined with low customer inventories, are reasons for optimism, but history suggests geopolitical events are a corrosive on production, as firms turn more hesitant on their expansion plans."

The report showed a modest acceleration in the pace of growth in new orders, as the new orders index crept up to 54.1 in April from 53.5 in March.

The supplier deliveries index also climbed to 60.6 in April from 58.9 in March, indicating delivery times are increasingly slowing, which the ISM said is typical as the economy improves and customer demand increases.

Meanwhile, the ISM said the production index fell to 53.4 in April from 55.1 in March, suggesting production grew at a slower rate.

The employment index also slid to 46.4 in April from 48.7 in March, with the index posting its 31st consecutive month of contraction.

On the inflation front, the report said the prices index surged to 84.6 in April from 78.3 in March, reaching its highest level since April 2022.

"Price pressures are becoming increasingly evident in the ISM manufacturing report," said Yaros. "The AI buildout is driving shortages in memory components and semiconductors, and the passthrough of energy cost increases to consumer prices will play out in the next months."

The ISM is scheduled to release a separate report on U.S. service sector activity in the month of April next Tuesday.

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