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Finishing Activity Contracted in December, Up 1.3 from November’s 43.6
Finishing activity posted its first uptick, in this case, a slight slowing of contraction, since August 2023.
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The Gardner Business Index (GBI): Finishing, in contraction mode since April 2023, closed the year with a marginally encouraging reading.
- Optimism about future business, while not part of the GBI calculation, increased in December, providing another sign of encouragement.
- Slowed contraction in new orders and backlog drove the change in the overall Finishing index.
- Production, employment and exports contracted at the same rate in December as November.
- As anticipated, supplier deliveries were ‘flat’ in December, meaning as many deliveries were longer as were shorter.
The Gardner Business Index (GBI): Finishing
Finishing activity showed its first slowing of contraction since August 2023.
Key Component Activity
Slowed contraction in new orders and backlog drove December’s Finishing index while business expectations grew more optimistic.
