Australia Manufacturing Sector Slips Into Contraction - S&P Global

(RTTNews) - The manufacturing sector in Australia fell into contraction territory in March, the latest survey from S&P Global revealed on Wednesday with a manufacturing PMI score of 49.8.

That's down from 51.0 in February and it moves beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

Manufacturers posted a renewed fall in new orders at the end of the first quarter, thereby ending a four-month sequence of growth. Muted customer demand and a drop in market confidence were among the factors leading to the decline, according to respondents.

In contrast, new export orders continued to rise, and at a marked pace that was the fastest since May 2021. Despite sustained growth in new export orders, the weakness in overall demand contributed to a second successive slight fall in manufacturing production. Panelists also reported that material shortages limited output.