THE WALL STREET CORNER

Ayer se publicaron en EEUU dos testigos de actividad económica, uno el índice PMI de manufacturas final de mayo (S&P Global US Manufacturing PMI) que recuperó ligeramente hasta el nivel 52 y resultó cierto alivio por haber conseguido mantenerse sobre el umbral 50 que distingue entre situaciones de expansión/contracción. Chris Williamson, economista jefe de S&P Global Market Intelligence, no se muestra convencido de que la ligera mejora sea sostenible y, tal como escribió en la nota de prensa que acompañó el informe, advierte la posibilidad de que esa mejora enmascare otra realidad: «The rise in the PMI during May masks worrying developments under the hood of the US manufacturing economy. While growth of new orders picked up and suppliers were reportedly busier as companies built up their inventory levels at an unprecedented rate, the common theme was a temporary surge in demand as manufacturers and their customers worry about supply issues and rising prices.“ «These concerns were not without basis: supplier delays have risen to the highest since October 2022, and incidences of price hikes are at their highest since November 2022, blamed in most cases on tariffs. Smaller firms, and those in consumer facing markets, appear worst hit so