Mid-Atlantic Manufacturing Activity up in February
The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s latest survey indicates that manufacturing activity in the Fifth District showed signs of improvement in February with the composite manufacturing index rising to –5 from –15 in January. Among component indexes, shipments came in at –15, new orders saw a rise from –16 to –5, and employment surged from –15 to 7. The gauge also recorded a slight increase in optimism among firms regarding local business conditions.