While the tariffs announced by President Donald Trump are already dragging markets deep into the red, early signs of strain are beginning to emerge in corporate health indicators, raising concerns that the services sector, the backbone of the U.S. economy, may no longer be able to sustain growth.
The Institute for Supply Management’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) survey revealed a marked deterioration in sentiment among service-sector businesses last month, further igniting investor concerns on the state of the economy.
ISM Services PMI Falls More Than Expected
The ISM Services PMI fell sharply to 50.9% in March, down from 53.5% in February, which had been the highest reading since August 2023. The decline was steeper than expected, with forecasts pointing to a more modest drop to 53%.
This was the lowest reading since December and only marginally above the 50% threshold that separates expansion from contraction.
The Business Activity Index, a gauge of current output, actually strengthened to 55.9% in March from 54.4%, extending its expansion streak to 58 consecutive months. However, forward-looking indicators showed weakness.
The New Orders Index dropped to 50.4% from 52.2%, suggesting waning customer demand, while the Backlog of Orders Index slipped to 45.6%, down from 47.7%, marking …