Global manufacturing remains in slight contraction, based on JP Morgan's PMI which edged 4 tenths higher to 49.0 in August. This index has been below breakeven 50 since August last year.

New orders edged 5 tenths higher but August's 48.1 level is inauspicious. Export orders are at 47.0, improving by 6 tenths but also weak. Employment held steady and flat at 50.6 while expectations for future output eased by 1.2 points to a still favorable 59.6. Price data firmed slightly but remain flat, at 51.1 for inputs and 50.5 for selling prices.

India's doing the best by the PMI samples with Russia also in the positive column. Germany is at the bottom of the stack with the UK nearby.

J.P. Morgan Global Manufacturing PMI gives an overview of the global manufacturing sector. It is based on monthly surveys of over 10,000 purchasing executives from 32 of the world’s leading economies, including the U.S., Japan, Germany, France and China which together account for an estimated 89 percent of global manufacturing output. It reflects changes in global output, employment, new orders and prices. The Global Manufacturing PMI is seasonally adjusted at the national level to control for varying seasonal patterns in each country and is produced by J.P. Morgan and Markit Economics in association with ISM and the International Federation of Purchasing and supply Management (IFPSM).

Investors need to keep their fingers on the pulse of the economy because it dictates how various types of investments will perform. The J.P. Morgan Global Manufacturing PMI provides advance insight into the global manufacturing sector, which gives investors a better understanding of business conditions and valuable information about the economic backdrop of global markets. The stock market likes to see healthy economic growth because that generally translates to higher corporate profits. The bond market prefers less rapid growth and is extremely sensitive to whether the economy is growing too quickly and causing potential inflationary pressures. The PMI data are also used by many Central Banks to help make interest rate decisions.

The J.P. Morgan Global Manufacturing PMI data give a detailed look at the manufacturing sector including the pace of manufacturing growth and the direction of growth for this sector. Since the manufacturing sector is a major source of cyclical variability in the economy, this report has a big influence on the markets. In addition, its sub-indexes provide a picture of output, employment, new orders and prices.