U.S. Business Activity Continued to Expand in July
By Jessica Coacci
U.S. business activity in the private sector continued to expand to an eight-month high in July, a monthly survey said Friday.
The S&P Global Flash U.S. Composite PMI - based on its surveys of services and manufacturing firms, rose to 53.6 in July from 51.9 in June. A reading above 50 indicates activity continued to grow.
July's faster expansion was led by services, where business activity growth hit an eight-month high amid stronger new work inflows, the survey said.
"Some of this improvement may prove short-lived as July saw hospitality spend boosted by the FIFA World Cup and USA 250 anniversary activities," said Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global Market Intelligence.
Meanwhile, manufacturing output continued to rise, but factories reported the weakest gains in output and order books since March.
In addition, supplier delays worsened to the greatest extent in nearly four years amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Price pressures also intensified, with input cost inflation reaching a 14-month high and selling price inflation close to a four-year peak.
"Events over recent days in the Middle East will have only further exacerbated these supply-chain and price worries," Williamson added.
Write to Jessica Coacci at jessica.coacci@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
July 24, 2026 10:18 ET (14:18 GMT)
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