The downturn in manufacturing is becoming harder for investors to ignore and their concern may intensify with data due to be released on Monday.
Manufacturing, a central — if shrinking – component of the U.S. economy, has been showing signs of weakness over the past year. A strengthening dollar and tumbling commodity prices have hit U.S. factories hard, reducing demand for manufactured goods.
The question for investors is whether or not the sector, historically a bellwether for the economy, is a sign of a broader contraction.
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