Far fewer commodities registered higher prices in August, according to the latest ISM Manufacturing Report on Business (ROB) released on Sept. 2. Coming off a rough July when not a single material got any cheaper, August saw natural gas retreating from a nine-month run up while corn prices finally dropped after moving up every month since the April report.
Commodities Up In Price
Acrylics
Aluminum (7)
Aluminum Extrusions (6)
Caustic Soda (6)
Chemicals (4)
Corrugated Containers (4)
Diesel Fuel* (6)
Freight (4)
Fuel Surcharges (6)
Petroleum-based Products (4)
Petrochemicals
Plastics (3)
Plastic Resins
Polyethylene
Polyethylene -- High Density
Polypropylene Resins
PVC
Steel (8)
Sulfuric Acid (2)
Commodities Cooling Off? "When the price of oil has fallen by more than 20%, and other commodities from steel and aluminum to corn and wheat have all fallen in price significantly, it represents a cushion for the economy. It is one of the few supports that we have right now." -- Sung Won Sohn, an economist at California State University in the Washington Post on Aug. 21.
Commodities Down In Price
Copper
Corn
Diesel Fuel*
Fuel Oil
Natural Gas
Soybean Oil
Commodities In Short Supply
Caustic Soda (6)
Note: The number of consecutive months the commodity is listed is indicated after each item.
*Reported as both up and down in price
Source: August 2008 Manufacturing ISM Report on Business
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