Manufacturing Sector Remains Weak

U.S. manufacturing weakened for the seventh straight month in February and price pressures also eased, a widely followed survey of U.S. purchasing executives reported Friday.

The National Association of Purchasing Management’s index, based on survey results, increased by one percentage point to 45.2 percent in February from 44.2 percent in January. That still showed a weakening in the manufacturing sector because the index remained below 50 percent.

But in a sign of reduced inflationary pressure, the survey showed prices that factories pay for raw materials weakened in February, with the price index falling to 38.3 percent from 39.4 percent in January.