US markets end lower on weak manufacturing data

03 Dec 2019 Evaluate

The US markets ended lower on Monday after US manufacturing data showed a contraction in November and fresh trade jitters put investors on the defensive. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) released a report showing manufacturing activity contracted for the fourth straight month in November. The ISM said its purchasing managers index edged down to 48.1 in November from 48.3 in October, with a reading below 50 indicating a contraction in manufacturing activity. Street had expected the index to inch up to 49.2. The unexpected dip by the headline index was partly due to faster rate of contraction in new orders, as the new orders index slid to 47.2 in November from 49.1 in October. The employment index also fell to 46.6 in November from 47.7 in October, indicating employment in the manufacturing sector contracted at a faster rate. On the inflation front, the prices index climbed to 46.7 in November from 45.5 in October, but a reading below 50 still indicates a drop in prices.

Besides, a report released by the Commerce Department showed an unexpected decrease in US construction spending in the month of October. The Commerce Department said construction spending fell by 0.8 percent to an annual rate of $1.291 trillion in October after slipping by 0.3 percent to a revised $1.302 trillion in September. Street had expected construction spending to climb by 0.4 percent compared to the 0.5 percent increase originally reported for the previous month. The unexpected drop in construction spending was partly due to a decrease in spending on private construction, which tumbled by 1.0 percent to a rate of $956.3 billion in October. Spending on residential construction slumped by 0.9 percent to a rate of $508.2 billion, while spending on non-residential construction plunged by 1.2 percent to a rate of $448.1 billion. The report said spending on public construction also dipped by 0.2 percent to an annual rate of $334.8 billion in October, reflecting a steep drop in spending on highway construction.

Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 268.37 points or 0.96 percent to 27783.04, Nasdaq declined 97.48 points or 1.12 percent to 8567.99 and S&P 500 was down by 27.11 points or 0.86 percent to 3113.87.

© 2026 The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved. MoneyWorks4Me ® is a registered trademark of The Alchemists Ark Pvt. Ltd.

×