WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Conditions for the nation's manufacturers continued to get better in June, the Institute for Supply Management reported Wednesday. The ISM index rose to 44.8% in June from 42.8% in May. The June index is the strongest since September. The consensus forecast of estimates collected by Marketwatch was for the index to rise to 45.6%. Readings below 50 indicate contraction. The production index jumped to 52.5% in June, while the new orders index slipped below 50 The ISM index has been improving slowly since hitting a low of 32.9 in December. The index was last above 50% in January 2008.
