With a reading of 51.2, the Gardner Business Index showed that the metalworking industry grew for the 13th consecutive month and the 15th time in 16 months.
With a reading of 52.1, the Gardner Business Index showed that the metalworking industry grew for the 12th consecutive month and the 14th time in 15 months. December’s rate of expansion was the fastest since August, and the rate of expansion accelerated slightly throughout the fourth quarter of 2014.
With a reading of 51.3, Gardner’s Metalworking Business Index showed that the industry grew in November for the 11th consecutive month and the 13th time in 14 months, at a rate slightly faster than October. The month-over-month rate of growth was just 2.0 percent, which was the second slowest rate of growth since August 2013, and the annual rate of growth decelerated for the second month in a row.
Spending on machine tools is projected to be way up next year. The latest Capital Spending survey indicates an eye-popping 37 percent increase in capital equipment purchases in 2015. What does this mean to you?
According to the USMTO, machine tool sales in September were 3,452 units and $638,010,000 in real dollars. These numbers are absolutely astounding. Unit sales were the highest in the history of the USMTO program, which dates back to 1996. Further, unit sales were the highest since June 1986, which made September the single best month of unit sales in nearly 30 years.
With a reading of 51.2, the Gardner Business Index showed that the metalworking industry grew for the 10th consecutive month and the 12th time in 13 months. October’s rate of expansion was slightly faster than last month.
With a reading of 50.9, Gardner’s Metalworking Business Index showed that the industry grew in September for the ninth consecutive month and the 11th time in 12 months, although the rate of expansion was the slowest of 2014.
Since two significantly down years after the financial collapse in the fall of 2008, machine tool consumption has been quite strong, performing at or above the historical average market. But 2015 looks to be the best post-recession year yet. According to the Gardner Research Capital Spending Survey and Forecast, metalcutting machine tool consumption will increase 37% next year.
With a reading of 51.9, the July metalworking index showed that the industry grew for the seventh consecutive month and the ninth time in 10 months. While this growth was at its slowest pace of 2014, the index was still 7.0 percent higher than it was one year earlier, the 11th straight month that the month-over-month rate has grown.
With a reading of 53.6, the June metalworking index showed that the industry continues to grow at a strong rate. The index was higher than 53.0 every month in the first six months of 2014, and the industry grew eight of the last nine months.
With a reading of 53.7, Gardner Business Media’s May metalworking index showed that the industry continues to grow at a fast pace. The index was higher than 53.0 in each of the first five months of 2014, and the industry grew seven of the last eight months.