Moldmaking Index Ends Quarter Holding Gains

Registering 53.5 for September, the Gardner Business Index (GBI): Moldmaking fell slightly as it ended the third quarter of 2017. This latest reading brought the 2017 year-to-date index average to 55.5 and the third quarter average to 54.9. For the year-to-date and 12-month periods, the index changed approximately -2 percent and 2 percent, respectively. Gardner Intelligence’s review of the underlying data for the month indicates that supplier deliveries, production, employment and new orders lifted the Moldmaking Index higher while backlog and exports pulled the Moldmaking Index lower. The decline in the Moldmaking Index for this month was largely a result of slowing growth in new orders and backlog combined with a contraction in exports that had posted growth during the previous month. 

The Moldmaking Index results among custom processors alone during 2017 have been marginal compared to the broader Moldmaking Index. Results during the third quarter indicated slowing growth for both groups. More information about the Moldmaking Index can 
be found at gardnerintelligence.com.