Manufacturers Expect Modest Growth Most Companies Remain Upbeat About The Coming Three Months

U.S. manufacturers expect “modest” growth in their industries during the next three months, according to a Dun & Bradstreet Corp. survey of 1,000 manufacturing executives nationwide.

The manufacturers said they expect economic conditions to remain stable for the next three months, with the industrial sentiment index decreasing 1 point to 17. The production index fell 1 point to 37, and the new orders index rose 1 point to 40.

“Manufacturers remain fairly upbeat about the coming three-month period, and expect particularly strong demand for consumer foods and non-durables such as clothing, food, and tobacco products,” Joseph Duncan, vice president and chief economist of Dun & Bradstreet, said in a statement.

“However, the long-term picture bears some attention, as production costs continue to outpace manufacturers’ ability to raise prices.”

The index is based on the percentage of respondents expecting decreases subtracted from those expecting growth.

The survey found that in the past quarter, manufacturing expanded the most since the end of last year.

For the past three months, the unfilled orders index decreased by half to 5, while the production index for all manufacturers increased 4 points to 10, and the industrial sentiment index rose 2 points to 6.

Another survey by the company, of 200 construction executives, found that conditions in the industry have improved. The order books index, a measure of current conditions, doubled to reach 16.