Another one of those small blip ups we’ve been seeing;

US Factory Activity Posts 1st Growth in 6 Months

The ISM Manufacturing PMI for the US jumped to 50.9 in January from 47.8 in December, beating market forecasts of 48.5. The reading pointed to the first increase in factory activity in six months. A recovery was seen for new orders, export orders and production and employment fell at a slower pace. In contrast, inventories dropped more and price pressures intensified. Moreover, sentiment regarding near-term growth was moderately positive.

Markit survey:

This one went a bit lower and isn’t adjusted for inflation:

US Construction Spending Posts First Fall in 6 Months

US construction spending fell 0.2 percent from a month earlier in December 2019, following an upwardly revised 0.7 percent growth in November and missing market expectations of a 0.5