F2M Market Watch

From Forest2Market's Economic Outlook: The Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) reports on business activity were split, with manufacturing contracting but service sector activity expanding at a slightly faster pace during July (Table 1).

Bradley Holcomb, chair of ISM’s Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, summed up the situation in his sector as: “A growing number of comments from the [manufacturing survey] panel this month reflect a slowdown in their businesses and general concern over increasing economic uncertainty.”

The news for the pulp and paper industry was universally negative, with growing inventories and shrinking orders. While employment in the wood products manufacturing sector remained steady, new orders and overall activity slowed.

Forestry-related service industries fared slightly better, with real estate and construction seeing an increase in new orders.