Updated: 02-Nov-26 10:39 ET

October ISM Manufacturing Index

Updated: 02-Nov-26 10:39 ET

Highlights

• The ISM Manufacturing Index increased to 55.5% in October (Briefing.com consensus: 54.7%) from 54.5% in September.
• The dividing line between expansion and contraction is 50.0%, so the October figure suggests manufacturing activity expanded at a faster pace than the prior month.

Key Factors

• The New Orders Index increased to 55.5% from 55.3%.
• The Production Index jumped to 59.0% from 56.7%.
• The Prices Index fell to 75.2% from 77.9%. That was the 25th straight month that prices for raw materials increased.
• The Employment Index dipped to 52.4% from 52.7%.
• The Backlog of Orders Index dropped to 54.6% from 56.4%.
• The Supplier Deliveries Index edged higher to 59.1% from 59.0%.
• The New Export Orders Index rose to 51.2% from 50.9%.

Big Picture

• The key takeaway from the report is that manufacturing activity is still running solidly in the face of ongoing raw material price pressures that threaten to translate into higher prices for customers.

Category	OCT	SEP	AUG	JUL	JUN
Total Index	55.5	54.5	54.6	55.6	53.3
Orders	55.5	55.3	53.7	56.7	56.0
Production	59.0	56.7	58.3	58.5	52.2
Employment	52.4	52.7	51.2	52.8	49.7
Deliveries	59.1	59.0	59.3	58.9	57.4
Inventories	51.4	48.6	50.6	51.2	51.4
Export Orders	51.2	50.9	53.2	53.0	48.5
Prices paid (not seas adj)	75.2	77.9	71.1	71.1	73.0