|

US Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index rises to 12 in August vs. -10 expected

  • Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index rose into positive territory for the first time since August 2022.
  • US Dollar Index stays in the red despite the upbeat data.

The diffusion index for current general activity of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Manufacturing Survey improved sharply to 12 in August from -13.5 in July. This reading marked the first positive reading in a year and came in much better than the market expectation of -10.

"The index for new orders — which had been negative for 14 consecutive months — climbed 32 points to 16.0, and the shipments index rose 18 points to 5.7," the Philadelphia Fed noted in its press release. "On balance, the firms reported a decline in employment, and the employment index moved down 5 points to -6.0."

Market reaction

The US Dollar struggles to find demand despite the upbeat data. As of writing, the US Dollar Index was down 0.25% on the day at 103.20.

Author

Eren Sengezer

As an economist at heart, Eren Sengezer specializes in the assessment of the short-term and long-term impacts of macroeconomic data, central bank policies and political developments on financial assets.

More from Eren Sengezer
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD holds steady below 1.1800

EUR/USD moves sideways in a narrow channel below 1.1800 as the market volatility remains low ahead of the New Year holiday. On Tuesday, investors will pay close attention to the minutes of the Federal Reserve's December policy meeting.

GBP/USD retreats below 1.3500 as trading conditions remain thin

GBP/USD corrects lower after posting strong gains in the previous week and trades below 1.3500 on Monday. With the action in financial markets turning subdued following the Christmas holiday, however, the pair's losses remain limited.

Gold holds above $4,300 after profit taking kicked in

Gold retreats sharply from the record-peak it set at $4,550 and trades below $4,400, losing more than 3% on the day. Growing optimism about a Ukraine-Russia peace agreement and profit-taking ahead of the New Year holiday seem to be causing XAU/USD to stay under heavy bearish pressure.

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and XRP bulls regain strength

Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple record roughly 3% gains on Monday, regaining strength mid-holiday season. Despite thin liquidity in the holiday season, BTC and major altcoins are regaining strength as US President Donald Trump pushes peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. The technical outlook for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple gradually shifts bullish as selling pressure wanes.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).