September ISM US Manufacturing Index Decreases Slightly From August

10:15 AM EDT, 10/01/2026 (MT Newswires) -- The Institute for Supply Management's US manufacturing index fell to 54.5 in September from 54.6 in August, compared with expectations for an increase to 55.0 reading in a survey compiled by Bloomberg. There were decreases in the readings for production, inventories and customer inventories but increases in new orders, employment and prices. ISM said that the manufacturing sector expanded in September for the ninth consecutive month with the overall economy continuing to grow for the twenty-third consecutive month. The monthly national manufacturing reading from the Institute for Supply Management is reported as a headline index, with readings above 50 indicating expansion and those below 50 indicating contraction. Component indexes measure new orders, production, employment, and prices. An increase in the index further above 50 is considered a sign of a strong US manufacturing sector, generally a positive for manufacturing industry stocks. However, if that strength comes with rising input prices due to shortages, that could be a negative for stocks as well as bonds.