Manufacturing Technology Orders Drop Slightly in November
MCCLEAN, VA — Manufacturing technology orders declined slightly in November 2016, dropping 2.4 percent compared to October, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders report from The Association For Manufacturing Technology.
In total for the year, orders were down 5.1 percent compared to the same point in 2015. The motor vehicle, aerospace and job shop sectors showed increased order activity in the last few months of the year, indicating capital investment in anticipation of a need for additional capacity. Some leading economic indicators suggest stronger activity ahead. The Purchasing Managers Index from ISM climbed for the fourth consecutive month to 54.7 in December, and new orders and production for U.S. factories rose to their highest levels since 2014. Industry analysts for manufacturing technology forecast that orders may begin to rebound as early as April.