MW: Dec. ISM manufacturing index hits 6-month high
By Steve Goldstein
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index for December climbed to 53.9% from 52.7% in November, which is a six-month high. Economists polled by MarketWatch had anticipated a 53.0% reading. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion. The production and employment gauges each rose 3.3 points, and there was a 0.9 percentage point gain for the new orders index.
