Current conditions facing the electroindusty held steady in April at an index value of 60.7, matching March’s reading exactly. The share of respondents reporting better conditions increased somewhat, but so did the share of those indicating worse conditions.
The Electroindustry Business Conditions Index (EBCI) is a monthly survey of senior executives at electrical manufacturers published by the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), Rosslyn, Va. Any score over the 50-point level indicates a greater number of panelists see conditions improving than see them deteriorating.
Recent Census Bureau data point to a slight decline in the value of shipments in the broad electrical equipment sector even as orders activity ticked up, a situation touched upon in one respondent’s comment.
The view six months out remains expansionary at 64.3 points, but this level marks a reduction in optimism from March’s future component score of 75 points. NEMA said the qualitative input from survey participants does not allude to any creeping pessimism — quite the contrary, in fact. Nevertheless, the proportion of panel members expecting better conditions declined this month while indications of unchanged or worse conditions both gained share compared to March.
