Factory activity picks up pace after three consecutive months to 51.3 in November

02 Dec 2013 Evaluate

In its highest reading since April, the HSBC Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), a headline index designed to measure the overall health of the manufacturing sector, snapping its three consecutive months’ declining streak climbed from 49.6 in the previous month to 51.3 in November, mainly led by the rise in new domestic orders. Indicating a slight improvement in operating conditions, this was the first reading above 50.0 recorded since July.

Strengthened demand resulted in new order growth and although modest, the rise in new work intakes that ended five month period of contraction, mainly helped boost the PMI. Export business which increased at a marginal and slower rate, suggested that the domestic market was the main source of new order gains. Meanwhile, the new orders sub-index rose to 51.9 last month; it’s highest since April and against 48.9 in October.

Sector wise data indicated that consumer goods continued to outperform the other two categories monitored by the survey, with both output and new orders rising at solid rates in the latest month. This was closely followed by intermediate goods.

Further, the employment activity increased for the second consecutive month, though the pace of job creation remained marginal and weaker than its long run average. Additionally, inflationary pressures in the Indian manufacturing economy too softened in November, while purchase prices increased at the weakest pace since August, Input costs rose at weaker rates across all three monitored sub-sectors.

The latest data is quite encouraging as this points some good news on inflation as well, suggesting that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is getting closer to the end of its tightening cycle, which so far has hiked interest rates by 25 basis points each at its back-to-back meetings to curb rising prices, taking the policy repo rate to 7.75%. However, the survey also added that RBI may still need to notch rates a bit up further.

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