Source: Economics Group of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
Summary
Industrial production eked out a modest 0.1% gain in August, but downward revisions suggest output is lower than previously thought. Manufacturing activity has actually perked up recently, but with growth concentrated in a few industries and lingering uncertainty, we expect activity to remain constrained through year-end.One Step Up and Two Steps Back
Despite widespread expectation for a second monthly decline, industrial production increased 0.1% in August. In isolation, that headline print may sound encouraging, but taken in the context of a sharp downward revision that took July’s decline from a small 0.1% to a more disconcerting 0.4%, this latest report puts overall output lower than where we thought we were in July.