UK manufacturing catches a cold from Eurozone October 1, 2014 Britain’s strong recovery is under threat from the economic troubles in Europe, as data released yesterday showed the UK’s manufacturing sector continuing a sharp decline that began at the start of summer. The purchasing managers’ index compiled by Markit fell to 51.6 for September, below market expectations and a drop from August’s 52.2. Any figure [...]
Weak US car manufacturing may slow taper September 15, 2014 A slowdown in US manufacturing may tempt the Federal Reserve to delay the ending of the asset purchase programme when it meets today and tomorrow. Tapering is expected to end in October with the monthly purchases reduced from $25bn (£15.4bn) to zero. But yesterday’s data shows manufacturing declining by 0.4 per cent over August, the [...]
UK manufacturing PMI: Russia tensions push growth to its lowest in 14 months September 1, 2014 It turns out even the UK manufacturing sector, which over recent months has staged a glorious recovery, is vulnerable to the whims of Vladimir Putin. The Purchasing Manager's Index, published this morning, fell to 52.5 in August, its lowest reading since June 2013 and well below economists' expectations of 55. The index, published by Markit [...]
Domestic demand subdued as Chinese manufacturing growth slows September 1, 2014 It's an underwhelming morning for the Chinese economy. Official purchasing managers' index (PMI) figures for the manufacturing sector missed expectations by 0.1 points in August, while HSBC and Markit Economics's measure was revised down by a similar amount. Asian markets remained largely unaffected by the news, with Shanghai Composite, the Nikkei and the [...]
Manufacturers say pay deals are bucking national wage slump August 25, 2014 The UK’s industrial firms are reporting stronger wage growth than dismal official figures suggest, with a new survey indicating that wages in the sector are now accelerating at a faster pace than inflation. The latest figures from manufacturing industry body EEF show an average pay increase of 2.6 per cent between February and July, in [...]
Eurozone manufacturing dips as job creation “stagnates” August 21, 2014 Weak recovery in Europe's manufacturing industry continued in August, data published this morning showed. The Flash Eurozone Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which measures the strength of the region's manufacturing and services sectors, revealed growth slowed between July and August. The headline Composite Output Index fell to 52.8 (any figure above 50 shows growth) from 53.8 [...]
China imposes massive fine on Japanese car parts manufacturers for price fixing August 20, 2014 China yesterday announced that it had fined Japanese car parts makers a record 1.235bn yuan (£121m) for manipulating prices. The punishment is part of Beijing’s move to enforce an anti-trust law that has targeted major corporations and revived protectionism concerns. The fines, the largest so far meted out by the pricing regulator, the National Development [...]
UK’s industrial firms named as regional stars of world’s manufacturing sector August 18, 2014 UK factories are in a sweet spot, according to a report on global industrial conditions released this morning, with companies re-shoring to an increasingly competitive UK manufacturing sector. The Boston Consulting Group released research on the state of the world’s manufacturing sector this morning, calling the UK a “rising regional star”. The authors also say [...]
From manufacturing to space farming: Meet Baxter, the multi purpose robot July 24, 2014 Baxter was originally designed as an industrial robot for working alongside humans on factory floors, excelling at fast, repetitive manufacturing tasks. Each with its own pair of chunky robot arms connected to a computer brain, hundreds of Baxters are already busily working away in factories and packing stations across the US. First launched [...]
Asian stocks rise as Chinese manufacturing shows strongest growth since January 2013 July 24, 2014 Manufacturing data for China is looking rosy as factory activity shot up at the fastest pace in 18 months. According to a preliminary report by HSBC and Markit, which provides a flash measure of manufacturing, the purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 52 in July from 50.7 in June, beating a Reuter's poll forecast of [...]