The Business Conditions Report of PMA

0
2042

According to the January 2014 Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) Business Conditions Report, metalforming companies expect an upswing in business conditions during the next three months. Conducted monthly, the report is an economic indicator for manufacturing, sampling 117 metalforming companies in the United States and Canada. The January report shows that 46% of participants predict that economic activity will improve during the next three months (up from 41% in December), 47% anticipate that activity will remain unchanged (compared to 46% last month) and only 7% believe that economic activity will decline (down from 13% in December). Metalforming companies also forecast a spike in incoming orders during the next three months, with 54% anticipating an increase in orders (up significantly from 43% in December), 41% expecting no change (compared to 43% in December) and five percent predicting a decrease in orders (compared to 14% in December). “PMA member companies are anticipating rising orders and shipments for Q-1 2014,” said William E. Gaskin, PMA president. “Metalforming companies averaged about five-percent growth in orders and two-percent growth in shipments during 2013, with shipments starting soft and improving in Q-2 and Q-3, with a flat Q-4. This was opposite of the 2012 pattern, when companies had a strong first half and then drifted down, ending flat for the year”.