Flash PMI indices for March from the United States were released today at 1:45 pm GMT. Report was expected to show small deterioration in manufacturing and services sector sentiment. However, both sectors were expected to remain above 50 pts threshold, or in expansion territory.
Actual report turned out to be mixed. Manufacturing index unexpectedly improved while services index dropped more than expected. Nevertheless, scale of this improvement/deterioration was rather small and did not change a key takeaway from the report - both sectors remain in expansion. USD ticked lower in a knee-jerk move but has since erased all the losses, and now trades a touch higher against EUR compared to pre-release levels.
US, flash PMI indices for March
- Manufacturing: 52.5 vs 51.7 expected (52.2 previously)
- Services: 51.7 vs 52.0 expected (52.3 previously)
Source: xStation5
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