Remember March and all those hopefull regional fed survey bounces? They are over! Philly Fed just printed -1.6, back into contraction for the 8th month of last 9, missing expectations of a +9.0 print. Every subcomponent weakened (aside from prices paid and received) but what saved the headline from further collapse was an unexpected surge in optimism for six-months ahead (right after the election?).
Spot the odd data point out…
The full breakdown shows everything weaker (except for prices paid)
The diffusion index for current activity decreased from 12.4 in March to -1.6 this month.
The index had turned positive last month following six consecutive negative readings. The current new orders and shipments indexes also fell this month. The percentage of firms (23 percent) reporting a rise in new orders was exactly offset by the percentage reporting a decline. The current new orders index decreased from 15.7 to zero this month, while the current shipments index fell precipitously, from 22.1 to -10.8. The unfilled orders and delivery time indexes suggested weakness, as both indexes were in negative territory this month. Firms continued to report overall declines in inventories.
The survey’s indicators of employment corroborate weakness in the other broad indicators this month. The employment index decreased 17 points and registered its fourth consecutive negative reading. Nearly 62 percent of the firms reported no change in employment this month, but the percentage reporting decreases rose from 17 percent in March to 27 percent this month. Firms reported a notable decline in average work hours: The index decreased 22 points and returned to negative territory after last month’s first positive reading in three months.
But, of course, hope is soaring as current conditions collapse…
The survey’s future indicators bucked the trend of weakening current indicators this month.
The diffusion index for future general activity increased from a reading of 28.8 in March to 42.2 this month. This is the highest reading for the index in 15 months (see Chart 1). The largest share of firms (51 percent) expect an increase in activity over the next six months, while only 9 percent expect declines. The future indexes for new orders and shipments also moved higher this month, increasing 10 points and 7 points, respectively. The future employment index also increased, from 6.3 to 14.2. More than 25 percent of the surveyed firms expect to increase employment levels over the next six months. This is slightly higher than the 22 percent that increased employment last month. The indexes for future prices paid and received edged higher this month, increasing 12 points and 8 points, respectively.
So to summarize – every current indicator is pointed to further weakness but for some reason, everything will be fixed in six months? How has that optimism worked out previously?
via http://ift.tt/1SvEaPP Tyler Durden