US manufacturing data: Sector contracts for 7th month in a row; ISM index shows slight improvement
The US manufacturing sector contracted for the seventh consecutive month in September, although the pace of decline eased slightly as production and demand showed marginal improvement.The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) manufacturing index rose to 49.1 in September from 48.7 in August. The figure remained below the 50-point mark that separates expansion from contraction, AFP…