Economy

ISM Manufacturing Index for APRIL 2026

2026-05-01T14:31:00.000-04:00

The Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) released their Manufacturing Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI®) for April, 2026:

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Predicted: 53.0%

Actual: 52.7% (month-on-month = FLAT)

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Previous month: 52.7%

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Every month, the ISM surveys purchasing and supply executives at hundreds of companies across the country who are involved in manufacturing in some form. The resulting index is watched closely by academics, economists and investors because manufacturing accounts for about 12% of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The PMI is a reliable barometer of U.S. manufacturing: A PMI above 50% implies that U.S. manufacturing expanded during the month specified, while a reading below 50% implies that the made-in-the-USA sector contracted.

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From Today's Report:

"...Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in April for the fourth consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest ISM® Manufacturing PMI® Report..."

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The Following Is A Sampling Of Quotes
From A Diverse Pool Of U.S. Manufacturers:

“Demand for manufactured goods is trending higher versus last year; however, geopolitical uncertainty and rising oil and diesel prices continue to weigh on demand. Many customers are exercising caution and remain in a wait-and-watch mode.”
[Transportation Equipment]

“Continued tariffs on products utilized in our product lines are being monitored by the business, with the business working to mitigate or limit tariff risk. Geopolitical risk, especially in the Middle East, as it pertains to commodity and energy markets remains a concern and is being monitored by the business. Supply chain risk concerns pertaining to increased cost and transit time for rerouted shipments due to conflict in the Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz and Suez Canal. These conditions are being monitored by the business and rerouting measures have been implemented where possible.”
[Transportation Equipment]

“Continuing fluctuation in U.S. tariffs as well as market constraints for certain materials are affecting our current business. U.S. support of AI-related industry is also in flux which is causing some customer and investment hesitancy.”
[Computer & Electronic Products]

“All products tied to crude, polyethylene resin or energy (liquified natural gas) have seen multiple increase spikes tied to the Iran invasion and market supply inflation.”
[Chemical Products]

“Revenues are very strong. However, price increases are similar to a few years ago with the supply chain crisis. All imports from China are up 15 percent to 25 percent, which is impossible for us to absorb or to fully pass along. Our suppliers in China are telling us that oil is at an all-time high, which is putting huge challenges on their cost structures.”
[Chemical Products]

“General uncertainty over the total impact of the U.S.-Iran war. Have not yet started to see the full impact of fuel increases but are aware they are coming.”
[Machinery]

“Business levels have been decent this year, in line with the same period last year and improved from the second half of 2025. However, higher cost pressures are impacting margins.”
[Fabricated Metal Products]

“Commodity markets remain mixed, with pockets of easing offset by ongoing volatility. Dairy and some soft commodities have cooled, while oils and grain-related inputs remain elevated given biofuel demand and feed costs. Pricing is still sensitive to policy changes, weather and global trade dynamics.”
[Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products]

“Our business remains strong and stable, but there are a lot of concerns in the geopolitical arena. If the Iran conflict persists, the impact on market pricing and supply continuity could be extreme. Electronics component market remains very volatile (pricing and continuity) based on AI.”
[Miscellaneous Manufacturing]

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CHART: ISM Manufacturing Index

April 2026 Update

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DATA: ISM Manufacturing Index

12-Month History
April 2026 Update

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Click here to view the complete ISM report

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Housing Starts During MARCH 2026

2026-05-01T07:34:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Commerce Department this morning released its Housing Starts report for March, 2026:

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Housing Starts:
Previous Reading: 1,356,000

Actual: 1,502,000

Month-on-Month Change: +10.77% (+146,000 New Units)

Year-on-Year Change: +10.85% (+147,000 New Units)

---------------------------------------------------

Building Permits:
Previous Reading (revised): 1,538,000

Actual: 1,372,000

Month-on-Month Change: -10.79% (-166,000 New Permits)

Year-on-Year Change: -7.36% (-109,000 New Permits)

----------------------------------------------------

Housing Starts: The top, yellow-highlighted figure is a measure of initial construction of single and multi-family residential units in the United States for the indicated month. Seasonally adjusted annual rate. The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

If you're wondering about the demand for new homes in the United States, or about the American residential construction industry in general, then you should pay attention to the monthly Housing Starts report. This report also offers insight into specific types of consumer spending: when housing starts are up, demand for the stuff that a consumer would purchase for a new home (large appliances, consumer electronics, furniture, etc.) tends to also rise -- and vice versa.

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CHART: Housing Starts
+ Building Permits
+ Completions
MARCH 2026 UPDATE

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Click here to view the full Commerce Department report (PDF)

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Gross Domestic Product (GDP): FIRST / ADVANCE Estimate for Q1, 2026

2026-04-30T18:45:00.000-04:00

The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its FIRST estimate for U.S. Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the first quarter of 2026:

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Previous quarter: +0.5%

Actual: +2.0%

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The GDP is a very broad measure of economic activity for the entire United States, covering all sectors of the economy. The Commerce Department defines real GDP as, "the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States."

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CHART: Contributions to Percent Change in Real GDP

Q1, 2026 - FIRST ESTIMATE

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Click here to view the full Commerce Department report (PDF).

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Leading Economic Index for MARCH 2026

2026-04-30T16:03:00.000-04:00

The Conference Board® released its Leading Economic Index® (LEI) for March, 2026:

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Index for March, 2026: 97.3 (The baseline 100 score is associated with 2016 data.)

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Actual: -0.61% (-0.6 point Month-on-Month)

Change from 12 Months Ago: -3.09% (-3.1 points)

==============

LEI for February, 2026: 97.9
LEI for January, 2026: 97.6
LEI for December, 2025: 97.6
LEI for November, 2025: 97.8
LEI for October, 2025: 98.1
LEI for September, 2025: 98.3
LEI for August, 2025: 98.5
LEI for July, 2025: 98.8
LEI for June, 2025: 98.8
LEI for May, 2025: 99.1
LEI for April, 2025: 99.1
LEI for March, 2025: 100.4
LEI for February, 2025: 101.2
LEI for January, 2025: 101.4
LEI for December, 2024: 101.6

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The yellow-highlighted percentage is the month-to-month change for the index. The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

The LEI is a composite of 10 of the nation's economic data releases that's put together by The Conference Board. Statistically, the components listed below have shown a significant increase or decrease before national economic upturns or downturns:

The Standard + Poor's 500 Index
Average weekly claims for unemployment insurance
Building permits for new private housing
The interest rate spread between the yield on the benchmark 10-Year Treasury Note and Federal Funds
ISM® Index of New Orders
Manufacturer's new orders for consumer goods or materials
Manufacturer's new orders, non-defense capital goods excluding aircraft orders
Average weekly manufacturing hours
Average consumer expectations for business conditions
Leading Credit Index™

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CHART: Leading Economic Index
6-Month Growth Rate
with Warning + Recession Signal
MARCH 2026 UPDATE

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From Today's Report:

"...'After rising in February, the US LEI pulled back sharply in March, as building permits declined and consumer expectations and stock prices weakened,' said Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, Senior Manager, Business Cycle Indicators, at The Conference Board.

'The LEI continues to signal a slowdown in the economy over the coming months, as higher oil prices and supply chain tensions will likely place additional upward pressure on inflation and further reduce consumers’ purchasing power.

The labor market, while currently stable, may soften with hiring slowing and unemployment edging higher. Growth will likely remain modest, as weaker consumer spending offsets some strength in business investment and defense-related activity.

The Conference Board revised its US GDP growth forecast to well below 2%, down to 1.6% Y/Y for 2026.'..."

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Click Here to view the Conference Board report.

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PCE Price Index + Personal Income + Consumer Spending Report for MARCH 2026

2026-04-30T11:48:00.000-04:00

The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its report on The PCE Price Index, Consumer Spending and Personal Income for March, 2026:

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Consumer Spending (Personal Consumption Expenditures [PCE])

Previous Reading (revised): +0.6%

Actual: +0.9%
> Real PCE: +0.2%*

=============

Personal Income

Previous Reading (revised): FLAT

Actual: +0.6%

> Disposable Personal Income (DPI): +0.6%
>> Real DPI: -0.1%*

=============

The above highlighted percentages represent the month-to-month change in Consumer Spending (aka Personal Consumption Expenditures), Personal Income and Disposable Personal Income for the entire United States.

Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index
Previous Reading (unrevised): +0.4%

Actual: +0.7%

Change from 12 months previous: +3.5%
(prior - unrevised = +2.8%)

=====================

Core PCE Price Index
( = PCE Price Index minus food and energy)
Previous Reading (unrevised): +0.4%

Actual: +0.3%

Change from 12 months previous: +3.2%
(prior - unrevised = +3.0%)

=====================

The PCE Price Index is different from the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in that it is a very broad measure of the prices associated with domestic products and services, while the CPI measures a more limited fixed basket of goods and services.

The broad nature of the PCE Price Index is key to why it is the Federal Reserve's preferred measure of inflation. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) pays very close attention to it.

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CHART: Changes In Monthly Consumer Spending
MARCH 2026 UPDATE

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Click here to view the full
Commerce Department report (PDF).

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* = Chained dollars is a method of adjusting real dollar amounts for inflation over time, so as to allow comparison of figures from different years. The Commerce Department introduced the chained-dollar measure in 1996. Chained dollars generally reflect dollar figures computed with 2012 as the base year.

New Unemployment Insurance Claims for The Week of April 25, 2026

2026-04-30T10:03:00.000-04:00

Jobless Claims

Earlier today, the Labor Department released its weekly report on New Jobless Insurance Claims for the week that ended on April 25, 2026:

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Predicted: 212,000

Actual: 189,000

====================

The yellow-highlighted figure represents the number of first-time claims for unemployment benefits for the entire United States. The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

--> Previous Week (revised): 215,000

4-Week Moving Average: 207,500

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Click here to view the full Labor Department report

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Crude Oil Inventories Report for Week Ending April 24, 2026

2026-04-30T09:13:00.000-04:00

Crude Oil Inventories

The U.S. Crude Oil Inventories report for the week that ended on April 24, 2026 was released this morning:

-- Δ from Last Week: -13,400,000 Barrels (-1.54%)

-- Δ from 1-Year Previous: +18,400,000 Barrels (+2.19%)

-- Current U.S. Crude Oil Stocks: 857,400,000 Barrels

NB: Δ = Change

Diminishing crude oil inventories often translate to higher crude oil and fuel prices (and vice versa), but not always.

The report is produced by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Click Here for the Weekly Crude Oil Price

Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) for MARCH 2026

2026-04-27T08:35:53.220-04:00

The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago released its National Activity Index (CFNAI) for March, 2026:

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Actual (CFNAI): -0.20

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Previous Month (revised): N/A

3-Month Moving Average (CFNAI-MA3): -0.03

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The CFNAI is a weighted average of 85 indicators of growth in national economic activity drawn from four broad categories of data:

Production and income;
Employment, unemployment, and hours;
Personal consumption and housing; and
Sales, orders, and inventories.

The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the yellow-highlighted figure is what was reported.

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CHART: CFNAI-MA3 with Business Cycles
March 2026 Update

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Understanding The CFNAI:

A zero value for the monthly index has been associated with the national economy expanding at its historical trend (average) rate of growth; negative values with below-average growth (in standard deviation units); and positive values with above-average growth.

Periods of economic expansion have historically been associated with values of the CFNAI-MA3 above -0.70 and the CFNAI Diffusion Index above -0.35. Conversely, periods of economic contraction have historically been associated with values of the CFNAI-MA3 below -0.70 and the CFNAI Diffusion Index below -0.35.

An increasing likelihood of a period of sustained increasing inflation has historically been associated with values of the CFNAI-MA3 above +0.70 more than two years into an economic expansion. Similarly, a substantial likelihood of a period of sustained increasing inflation has historically been associated with values of the CFNAI-MA3 above +1.00 more than two years into an economic expansion.

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Click here to view the full Chicago Fed report

Click here for The List of 85 Existing Monthly Indicators

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New Unemployment Insurance Claims for The Week of April 18, 2026

2026-04-23T09:56:00.000-04:00

Jobless Claims

Earlier today, the Labor Department released its weekly report on New Jobless Insurance Claims for the week that ended on April 18, 2026:

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Predicted: 212,000

Actual: 214,000

4-Week Moving Average: 210,750

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Click here to view the full Labor Department report

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Crude Oil Inventories Report for Week Ending April 17, 2026

2026-04-22T12:13:00.001-04:00

Crude Oil Inventories

The U.S. Crude Oil Inventories report for the week that ended on April 17, 2026 was released this morning:

-- Δ from Last Week: -2,200,000 Barrels (-0.252%)

-- Δ from 1-Year Previous: +30,200,000 Barrels (+3.59%)

-- Current U.S. Crude Oil Stocks: 870,800,000 Barrels

NB: Δ = Change

Diminishing crude oil inventories often translate to higher crude oil and fuel prices (and vice versa), but not always.

The report is produced by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Click Here for the Weekly Crude Oil Price

U.S. Retail And Food Services Sales Report for MARCH 2026

2026-04-21T11:26:00.000-04:00

The Commerce Department this morning released advance estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services Sales for March, 2026:

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Previous Month (revised): +0.72% (+$5,269,000,000)

Actual: +1.66% (+$12,291,000,000)

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The highlighted percentage above represents the month-to-month, seasonally adjusted change in total sales receipts for retailers that sell durable and non-durable goods, and retailers that provide food and beverage services.

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Est. Retail Sales During March, 2026: $752,063,000,000

Year-On-Year Change: +3.97% (+$28,713,000,000)

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CHART: Retail Sales - Monthly

February 2006 Thru March 2026
MARCH 2026 UPDATE
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Click here to view the full Commerce Department report.

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Industrial Production + Manufacturing + Capacity Utilization During MARCH 2026

2026-04-16T13:28:00.000-04:00

The Industrial Production, Manufacturing and Capacity Utilization numbers for March, 2026 were released by the Federal Reserve:

Industrial Production:
Previous Month (revised): +0.7%
Actual: -0.5% Month-on-Month (M/M)

Year-on-Year (Y/Y): +0.7%

--> Y/Y Previous: +1.4%

Manufacturing:
Previous Month (revised): +0.4%
Actual: -0.1% (M/M)

Y/Y : +0.5%

--> Y/Y Previous: +1.3%

Capacity Utilization Rate:
Previous Month (revised): 76.1%
Actual: 75.7%

Y/Y : +1.4%

--> Y/Y Previous: +1.4%

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CHART: Industrial Production

+ Manufacturing
+ Capacity Utilization
MARCH 2026 UPDATE

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Click here to view the full Federal Reserve report

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New Unemployment Insurance Claims for The Week of April 11, 2026

2026-04-16T09:35:00.000-04:00

Jobless Claims

Earlier today, the Labor Department released its weekly report on New Jobless Insurance Claims for the week that ended on April 11, 2026:

====================
Predicted: 210,000

Actual: 207,000

4-Week Moving Average: 209,750

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Click here to view the full Labor Department report

====================

Import and Export Price Indexes for MARCH 2026

2026-04-16T03:38:15.936-04:00

The Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics released its report on U.S. Import and Export Price Indexes for March, 2026:

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Import Prices
Previous Reading, revised: +0.9%
Actual: +0.8%

Change From 12 Months Previous: +2.1%

-- Year-on-year previous reading = +1.3%

===============

Export Prices
Previous Reading, revised: +1.5%
Actual: +1.6%

Change From 12 Months Previous: +5.6%

-- Year-on-year previous reading = +3.5%

===============

The above percentages, highlighted in yellow, represent the month-to-month change in prices for:

Imports: the cost of goods produced in other countries and sold in the United States.
Exports: the cost of goods produced in the USA and sold in other countries.

Together, these indexes offer insight into the status of inflation in the United States, and for the global economy as well. The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

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CHART: Import Price Index

MARCH 2026 Update

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CHART: Export Price Index

MARCH 2026 Update

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Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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Crude Oil Inventories Report for Week Ending April 10, 2026

2026-04-15T13:57:00.000-04:00

Crude Oil Inventories

The U.S. Crude Oil Inventories report for the week that ended on April 10, 2026 was released this morning:

-- Δ from Last Week: -5,000,000 Barrels (-0.57%)

-- Δ from 1-Year Previous: +33,100,000 Barrels (+3.94%)

-- Current U.S. Crude Oil Stocks: 873,000,000 Barrels

NB: Δ = Change

Diminishing crude oil inventories often translate to higher crude oil and fuel prices (and vice versa), but not always.

The report is produced by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Click Here for the Weekly Crude Oil Price

NFIB Small Business Optimism Index (SBOI) for MARCH 2026

2026-04-15T00:10:00.000-04:00

The National Federation of Independent Business® (NFIB®) released its Small Business Optimism Index (SBOI) for March, 2026:
=========

Predicted: 98.0

Actual: 95.8

----------------

Change from Previous Month: -3.04% (-3.0 points.)

Change from A Year Ago: -1.64% (-1.6 points.)

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CHART: NFIB Small Business Optimism Index

MARCH 2026 Update

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The baseline "100" score is associated with 1986 survey data.

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From the Report:

"...CREDIT MARKETS

In March, the net percent of owners expecting easier credit conditions remained at a net -5% (seasonally adjusted). A net 5% reported their last loan was harder to get than in previous attempts, unchanged from February and close to the historical average of a net 6%. In March, a net -3% of owners reported paying a higher interest rate on their most recent loan, unchanged from February. The average interest rate paid on short maturity loans was 7.9% in March, down 0.3 points from February. Twenty-four percent of all owners reported borrowing regularly, down 1 point from February.

...Inflation will become even more of a problem as oil prices respond to developments in the Iran conflict. Only a few ships are getting through Hormuz each day compared to well over 100 pre-war, slowing not only the supply of oil, but many other important products as well. The Federal Reserve is likely to stay steady now, but a rate hike becomes more likely if the current elevated inflation environment persists. The share of small business owners raising average selling prices has stabilized at rates that prevailed at the end of the last administration (CPI up 20% over 4 years). Lower oil prices will benefit all concerned, but that may take a while even after the Strait [is back to normal]..."

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Previous Month's SBOI: 98.8

SBOI, 12-Months Previous: 97.4

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Click here to view the full NFIB report

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Producer Price Index - Final Demand (PPI-FD) for MARCH 2026

2026-04-14T12:59:00.000-04:00

Here is the Producer Price Index - Final Demand (PPI-FD) for MARCH, 2026:

===============================
Previous Month (revised): +0.5%

Actual: +0.5%

Change from 12 months previous: +4.0%
(prior - unrevised = +3.4%)

=============

Below is the PPI-FD when Food, Energy and Trade Services are removed:

Previous Month (unrevised): +0.5%

Actual: +0.2%

Change from 12 months previous: +3.6%
(prior - unrevised = +3.5%)

===============================

PPI-FD Goods, Year-on-Year: +4.9% (prior = +2.5%)

PPI-FD Services, Year-on-Year: +3.7% (prior = +3.8%)

The above, yellow-highlighted percentages represent the month-to-month change in prices received by domestic producers of goods and services, for goods, services and construction in the United States, for final demand.

Final Demand = personal consumption (consumers), exports, government purchases and capital investment.

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CHART: Producer Price Index

Final Demand (PPI-FD)
12-Month Percent Change
MARCH 2026 Update

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Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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U.S. Factory Shipments (New Orders) During FEBRUARY 2026

2026-04-12T07:09:00.000-04:00

The U.S. Census Bureau this morning released their report on Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories and New Orders -- also known as Factory Orders -- for February, 2026:

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Predicted: +0.5%

Actual: +0.4% (+2,297,000,000)

========

February, 2026 New Orders: $578,812,000,000.
January, 2026 New Orders: $576,515,000,000.

========

Change from 12 Months Ago (Year-on-Year):

+$22,453,000,000 (+4.04%)

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The highlighted percentages represent the month-on-month and year-on-year changes in new shipments for both durable and nondurable goods made by U.S. manufacturers; not seasonally adjusted.

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CHART: U.S. Factory Orders
FEBRUARY 2026 Update
(seasonally adjusted.)

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Click here to view the full Census Bureau report.

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Consumer Price Index (CPI) for MARCH 2026

2026-04-10T13:23:00.000-04:00

Earlier this morning, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March, 2026:

=========================================

CPI During March, 2026: 330.213

=========================================

Consumer Price Index (CPI); Headline

Predicted: +0.9%

-> Actual: +1.05% (+3.428 points)

Year-on-Year Change: +3.26% (+10.414 points)

[Y-o-Y previous = +2.41%]

=========================================

CPI, Minus Food + Energy (Core CPI)

Predicted: +0.3%

- > Actual: +0.34% (+1.149 points)

Year-on-Year Change: +2.6% (+8.458 points)

[Y-o-Y previous = +2.46%]

=========================================

The above, yellow- and blue-highlighted figures represent month-to-month and year-on-year changes (not seasonally adjusted) in prices for a specific group of goods and services that consumers buy, and is, therefore, a very important part of the overall inflation picture for the country.

The "predicted" figure is what economists were expecting, while the "actual" is the true or real figure.

General categories that constitute the CPI are:

Healthcare
Housing
Clothing
Communications
Education
Transportation
Food and Beverages
Recreation
Miscellaneous Goods and Services (grooming expenses, etc.)

========================================

CPI During March, 2025: 319.799

=======================================

CHART: Consumer Price Index

12-Month Percentage Change
MARCH 2026 Update

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Click here to view the full Labor Department report.

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Gross Domestic Product (GDP): THIRD and FINAL Estimate for Q4, 2025

2026-04-10T05:38:58.137-04:00

The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its THIRD and FINAL estimate for U.S. Real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the fourth quarter of 2025:

============

Previous quarter: +4.4%

Actual: +0.5%

============

CHART: Contributions to Percent Change in Real GDP

Q4, 2025 - THIRD / FINAL ESTIMATE

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Click here to view the full Commerce Department report (PDF).

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PCE Price Index + Personal Income + Consumer Spending Report for FEBRUARY 2026

2026-04-10T00:41:00.000-04:00

The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released its report on The PCE Price Index, Consumer Spending and Personal Income for February, 2026:

=============

Consumer Spending (Personal Consumption Expenditures [PCE])

Previous Reading (revised): +0.3%

Actual: +0.5%
> Real PCE: +0.1%*

=============

Personal Income

Previous Reading (unrevised): +0.4%

Actual: -0.1%

> Disposable Personal Income (DPI): -0.1%
>> Real DPI: -0.5%*

Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index
Previous Reading (unrevised): +0.3%

Actual: +0.4%

Change from 12 months previous: +2.8%
(prior - unrevised = +2.8%)

=====================

Core PCE Price Index
( = PCE Price Index minus food and energy)
Previous Reading (unrevised): +0.4%

Actual: +0.4%

Change from 12 months previous: +3.0%
(prior - unrevised = +3.1%)

=====================

CHART: Changes In Monthly Consumer Spending
FEBRUARY 2026 UPDATE

=====================

Click here to view the full
Commerce Department report (PDF).

=====================

* = Chained dollars is a method of adjusting real dollar amounts for inflation over time, so as to allow comparison of figures from different years. The Commerce Department introduced the chained-dollar measure in 1996. Chained dollars generally reflect dollar figures computed with 2012 as the base year.

New Unemployment Insurance Claims for The Week of April 4, 2026

2026-04-09T23:33:00.000-04:00

Jobless Claims

Earlier today, the Labor Department released its weekly report on New Jobless Insurance Claims for the week that ended on April 4, 2026:

====================
Predicted: 215,000

Actual: 219,000

4-Week Moving Average: 209,500

====================

Click here to view the full Labor Department report

====================

Crude Oil Inventories Report for Week Ending April 3, 2026

2026-04-08T21:42:00.000-04:00

Crude Oil Inventories

The U.S. Crude Oil Inventories report for the week that ended on April 3, 2026 was released this morning:

-- Δ from Last Week: +1,300,000 Barrels (+0.15%)

-- Δ from 1-Year Previous: +38,900,000 Barrels (+4.64%)

-- Current U.S. Crude Oil Stocks: 878,000,000 Barrels

NB: Δ = Change

Diminishing crude oil inventories often translate to higher crude oil and fuel prices (and vice versa), but not always.

The report is produced by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Click Here for the Weekly Crude Oil Price

Durable Goods Orders During FEBRUARY 2026

2026-04-08T06:43:00.000-04:00

The Durable Goods Orders report for February, 2026 was released by the Commerce Department:

================

New Orders: $296,529,000,000

(+$19,942,000,000 [+7.21%]) Year-on-Year

================

CHART: Durable Goods Orders

Month-on-Month Change
FEBRUARY 2026 UPDATE
(from Seasonally Adjusted Data)

================

The yellow-highlighted figure represents the y-o-y change in new orders for durable or hard goods for immediate or future delivery from U.S. manufacturers (NOT seasonally adjusted.)

Examples of durable goods: cars, airplanes, computers, furniture -- items that are built to last at least three years.

================

Click here to view the full Commerce Department report (PDF).

================

ISM Non-Manufacturing Index (NMI®) for March 2026

2026-04-06T14:08:00.001-04:00

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM®) released their Non-Manufacturing Index (NMI®) for March, 2026:

==========

Predicted: 55.0%

Actual: 54.0% (-2.1 points month-on-month change)

==========

Previous month (revised): 56.1%

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The NMI is a reliable barometer of the U.S. services sector; above 50% implies expansion, while a reading below 50% implies that the services sector contracted.

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From today' report:

"...Economic activity in the services sector continued to expand in March, say the nation’s purchasing and supply executives in the latest ISM^® Services PMI^® Report. The Services PMI^® registered 54 percent, the 21st consecutive month in expansion territory..."

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Here's A Sampling Of Comments
Made By Survey Participants:

"Tariff rollbacks are resulting in favorable price adjustments, but the news of new implementation is driving continued uncertainty. Snowstorms last month disrupted demand and supplier operations, mostly around the availability of labor. Forecasted seasonal growth is starting to materialize due to daylight savings time and higher temperatures.”
[Accommodation & Food Services]

“Transportation disruptions in the Middle East are inhibiting both incoming and outgoing cargoes from the region. While force majeure has been received from several Middle Eastern suppliers, business operations are generally at normal levels and no interruptions, except shipping.”
[Construction]

“We are still in cost cutting and operational streamlining mode as technology continues to advance. We have seen more concessions regarding passing through tariff surcharges. We continue to closely monitor the political situation in the Middle East and how ramifications could impact our supply chain and overall costs.”
[Finance & Insurance]

“As we close out the first quarter, demand for AI computer infrastructure remains incredibly resilient. Customers have opened their 2026 capital budgets, leading to a strong refresh in new order intake. Operationally, our focus has shifted toward efficiency and margin protection.”
[Information]

“Political uncertainty with Iran conflict has resulted in less international business. Domestic business remains consistent with January and February levels.”
[Mining]

“We’re seeing some expansion across the services economy with stronger business activity and new orders. Clients remain active on regulatory, tax planning, and risk management initiatives, though persistent pricing pressures and evolving economic conditions continue to shape project prioritization and budgeting.”
[Professional, Scientific & Technical Services]

“The war in Iran has added an additional layer of uncertainty on top of an already shaky macroeconomic climate. A spike in inflation due to higher oil prices will reduce purchasing power, affecting every industry.”
[Real Estate, Rental & Leasing]

“Recent increases in fuel prices are having a substantial impact on the airline industry, resulting in significantly higher operational costs compared to pricing from just one month ago.”
[Transportation & Warehousing]

“Continued volatility in copper, aluminum and steel markets — driven by supply chain constraints and strong infrastructure demand — has increased costs and lead times for electric utility projects. These conditions are influencing purchasing strategies and capital planning across the industry.”
[Utilities]

“The U.S.-Israel military operations against Iran have created significant uncertainty for our Omani frankincense imports. Threats to close the Strait of Hormuz and rising war-risk surcharges are pressuring regional logistics costs, even for air freight. Combined with the Supreme Court’s emergency tariffs ruling — which replaced our 10-percent tariff with a 15-percent Section 122 tariff — landed costs have increased materially. We are monitoring regional stability closely and maintaining communication with Omani suppliers.”
[Wholesale Trade]

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Click here to view the complete ISM report

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CHART: ISM Non-Manufacturing (Services) Index
(NMI®) MARCH 2026 Update

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