US Manufacturing Shows Signs of Improvement as Factory Output, Orders Tick Higher

Factory activity improved in April while price pressures and uncertainty related to the Trump administration’s trade policies weigh on the outlook.

A general view of metal cutting machines at a factory in Cleveland, Ohio, on May 26, 2021. Timothy Aeppel/Reuters

U.S. manufacturing showed modest but meaningful signs of improvement in April, according to data released Wednesday by S&P Global, which showed factory output and new orders ticking higher.

The April 23 report, combined with Federal Reserve data, suggests America’s industrial sector is stabilizing amid tariff-related uncertainties.