Malaysia: Manufacturing PMI slides in August
The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), produced by S&P Global, ticked down to 50.3 in August from 50.6 in the previous month. As a result, the PMI inched closer to the 50-threshold that separates improving from deteriorating conditions in the manufacturing sector compared to the previous month.
Although new orders gained pace in August, a sharp slowdown in output weighed on the overall reading. Moreover, unemployment rose for the seventh consecutive month. Regarding prices, input price inflation eased for the second month running to a near one-year low in August. As such, output charges rose at its lowest level in a year. Lastly, optimism over the coming 12 months improved markedly amid hopes that the pandemic had fully subsided.