March ISM services index 54.0 vs 54.9 expected
News brief
March US services sector survey from the Institute for Supply Management Business activity index 53.9 vs 59.9 prior Employment 45.2 vs 51.8 prior New orders 60.6 vs 58.6 prior-- two year highPrices paid 70.7 vs 63.0 prior -- highest in three-and-a-half yearsSupplier deliveries 56.2 vs 53.9 prior Inventories 54.8 vs 56.4 prior Backlog of orders 53.6 vs 55.9…
Why traders care
For traders, the practical value is less about the headline alone and more about how it changes context, sentiment and the quality of the next decision.
What to watch next
- Watch follow-through, not just the first reaction: liquidity, volatility and confirmation across related assets usually tell the real story.
March US services sector survey from the Institute for Supply Management Business activity index 53.9 vs 59.9 prior Employment 45.2 vs 51.8 prior New orders 60.6 vs 58.6 prior-- two year highPrices paid 70.7 vs 63.0 prior -- highest in three-and-a-half yearsSupplier deliveries 56.2 vs 53.9 prior Inventories 54.8 vs 56.4 prior Backlog of orders 53.6 vs 55.9… From the chart, you can see the trajectory of this survey before the start of the war. This index has been above 50 for 20 consecutive months and is one of the better-looking economic indicators in the US. Lately, it's creeped back into the pre-covid range of 55-60 as companies benefit from tax breaks, rate cuts and deregulation. The removal of tariffs could also have helped boost sentiment but those mostly applied to goods. It's not yet clear how the reversal of energy prices higher is going… For traders, the practical value is less about the headline alone and more about how it changes context, sentiment and the quality of the next decision. Watch follow-through, not just the first reaction: liquidity, volatility and confirmation across related assets usually tell the real story.
