Austria - PMI Manufaktur

The Unicredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI rose to 46.0 in November of 2019 from 45.5 in the previous month. The reading pointed to another contraction in manufacturing activity but the highest reading in three months, as employment and stocks of purchases fell at a softer pace while supplier delivery times improved slightly. On the other hand, output contracted for the seventh straight month while the total level of new orders dropped further in November. In terms of prices, input costs continued to decrease while output prices also went down but slightly quicker than in October. Finally, business confidence improved in November after being in negative territory since July.

The Unicredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI rose marginally to 45.5 in October 2019 from a near seven-year low of 45.1 in September. The reading pointed to another contraction in manufacturing activity though slower, as output and new orders continued to shrink markedly but slightly less than in September. Meantime, employment fell the most in nearly ten years. In terms of prices, input costs fell sharply and for the fifth straight month, mainly due to steel, plastic and a range of wood products. Average factory gate charges also decreased, down for a fourth straight month, though the rate of decline was the slowest in the current sequence. Looking ahead, sentiment among manufacturers improved only slightly in October, as fears of an economic slowdown at home and abroad continued to weigh on confidence.

The Unicredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI slipped to an 83-month low of 45.1 in September of 2019 from 47.9 in the previous month. New orders dropped for the ninth consecutive month and the rate of decline was the quickest seen since October 2012; output also fell at the fastest rate since October 2012 and employment decreased at the greatest pace since November 2009. On the price front, input costs fell at the steepest rate for three-and-a-half years and output costs also declined further. Looking ahead, future output expectations were the most negative since November 2012.

The Unicredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI rose slightly to 47.9 in August 2019 from 47.0 in the prior month. The reading continued to signal contraction in factory activity for the fifth month running but at the softest pace since May, as new orders fell only modestly and at the slowest rate since February. Meantime, output, employment and purchasing activity continued to decline. Of the main industrial groupings, intermediate and capital goods sectors were the worst performing while the consumer goods sector saw further growth. On the price front, input costs fell for the third month in a row and output charges were also reduced slightly, amid strong competitive pressures. Looking ahead, future output expectations were the lowest since mid-2013, amid concerns towards the construction sector, the car industry and economic conditions generally.

The Unicredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI decreased to 47 in July of 2019 from 47.5 in the previous month, the lowest since October of 2014. Employment fell the most since March of 2015 and new orders declined for the seventh straight month. At the same time, both new export orders and production contracted at softer rates. On the price front, input prices fell at the fastest pace in almost three-and-a-half years and output prices were reduced for the first time since October 2016. Looking ahead, sentiment was back in negative territory in July and the lowest overall since early 2015.

The Unicredit Bank Austria Manufacturing PMI fell to 47.5 in June 2019 from 48.3 in the prior month. The reading pointed to the sharpest contraction in factory activity since November 2014 as both output and new orders declined, amid subdued demand from both domestic and external markets, linked to the auto industry. In particular, the decrease in export orders was the sharpest since October 2012. Subsequently, firms cut again their purchasing activity which led to the fastest improvement in delivery times since August 2012. Meantime, the rate of job creation softened. Input prices fell for the first time in 34 months, amid lower prices of metals and chemicals; but output charges were raised in order to bolster margins. Looking ahead, firms were broadly neutral about the outlook, as worries over the recent economic downturn, especially in the automotive sector, were in part offset by hopes for growth related to new product launches and the planned expansion into new markets.