Investors Look to ISM Manufacturing Index for Signs of Economy's Health

Investors and manufacturing executives will have plenty to chew on during the upcoming Fourth of July weekend.

The Institute for Supply Management will release its Report on Business for June at 10 a.m. EST on Friday, while the U.S. automakers will report their June sales results on the same day.

The ISM Report on Business, a monthly survey of manufacturing supply managers, is viewed as a bellwether of economic activity, and likely will be closely watched in light of recent signals that the U.S. economy is slumping.

Although the institute's May survey showed that economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded for the 22nd straight month, and manufacturing employment continued to gain momentum, it pointed to slower growth in new orders and production.

Bradley Holcomb, chair of the Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, noted in the May report that U.S. manufacturers "continue to experience significant cost pressures from commodities and other inputs."

Among companies on IndustryWeek's 2010 IW 50 Best Manufacturers list, Nike Inc. will report its fourth-quarter and full-year fiscal 2011 financial results after the markets close on Monday.

In March, Nike reported third-quarter fiscal 2011 revenues of $5.1 billion, a 7% year-over-year increase.

However, the Beaverton, Ore.-based athletic-footwear manufacturer said higher input costs and freight costs contributed to a 110-basis-point decline in gross margin, which disappointed investors.

This Week in Manufacturing

June 27

Nike Q4/full-year fiscal 2011 earnings (4:15 p.m. EST)

June 28

Nike investor update, Beaverton, Ore. (1 to 6 p.m. EST; presentations webcast live )

June 30

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Aruoba-Diebold-Scotti Business Conditions Index, initial jobless claims for week ending June 25 (8:30 a.m. EST)

July 1