Kansas City Fed manufacturing activity contracted again as the Kansas City Fed composite index of current conditions registered minus 1 in December versus minus 2 in November and minus 8 in October.

The index of six-month expectations for business conditions rebounded to 5 in December from minus 1 in November and 1 in October.

The current new orders index registered minus 8 in December versus 0 in November and minus 22 in October. Production was at minus 4 in December versus minus 3 in November and minus 8 in October.

Prices paid came in at 9 in December versus 7 in November and minus 2 in October. Prices received were at 3 in December versus minus 3 in November and 0 in October. The number of employees index was at 8 in December versus minus 3 in November and minus 4 in October.

The Kansas City Fed index offers a monthly assessment of change in the region's manufacturing sector. Positive readings indicate monthly growth and negative readings monthly contraction. Readings at zero indicate no change. The headline number is the composite index, an average of the production, new orders, employment, delivery time, and raw materials inventory indexes.

Investors track economic data like the Kansas City Survey of Manufacturers to understand the economic backdrop for the various markets. The stock market likes to see healthy economic growth because that translates to higher corporate profits. The bond market prefers a moderate growth environment that will not generate inflationary pressures. The survey gives a detailed look at Tenth District's manufacturing sector, how busy it is and where it is headed. Some of the survey indexes also provide insight on inflation pressures—including prices paid, prices received, wages & benefits, and capacity utilization. The equity market is also sensitive to this report because it is an early clue on the nation's manufacturing sector, reported in advance of the ISM manufacturing index and often in advance of the NAPM-Chicago index.