Discovering the Capacity Utilization Index

What you should know: CU data can predict turning points in general manufacturing trends, anticipate price inflation and foresee supply bottlenecks. CU data is included in NFPA’s Trends in Capacity Utilization. CU data is a strong economic indicator for fluid power. CU has an 91.8% correlation with Total Fluid Power Shipments. Capacity utilization index (CU),…

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COVID-Proof Trends in Fluid Power Shipments

In a continued annual news series on trends in fluid power shipments, we again examine three very consistent trends worth watching over the last twelve years using “month-to-month % change” analysis on historical shipments index data from NFPA’s Confidential Shipment Statistics Program. First, let us revisit the trends and historical analysis from last year’s article:…

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Discovering Durable Goods New Orders Data

What you should know: DGNO data is a strong economic indicator for fluid power DGNO has an 88% correlation with Total Fluid Power Shipments DGNO, excluding Transportation has an 92.8% correlation with Total Fluid Power Shipments NFPA and that Stats Toolkit make it easy for you to use DGNO as a possible leading indicator for…

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Discovering U.S. Industrial Production Index Resources

Industrial Production Index (IP) is a measure of output of the industrial sector of the economy and includes manufacturing, mining and utilities. It accounts for the bulk of the variation in national output over the course of the business cycle, making it an important tool for forecasting economic performance and a popular economic indicator for…

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Discovering the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) Resources

Many individuals engaged in the fluid power supply chain rely on the insights that the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) offers as a top leading indicator of fluid power industry activity. This measure of economic trends in manufacturing, based on a monthly survey of purchasing managers, can provide current and future insights for decision makers concerning…

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