Kazakhstan: Manufacturing PMI rises to an eight-month high in June
The S&P Global Kazakhstan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) improved to an eight-month high of 52.3 in June from 52.2 in May. As a result, the index moved further above the 50.0 no-change threshold, and signaled a faster improvement in manufacturing-sector operating conditions compared to the previous month.
The reading chiefly reflected the fastest rise in employment in over five-and-a-half years in response to sustained increases in output and new orders. In turn, this surge in employment helped firms cut through their backlogs of work. In a further boost to the manufacturing PMI, manufacturers increased their purchasing activity at the sharpest pace in nearly a year and a half.
Regarding prices, both input cost and output price inflation accelerated, primarily due to higher raw material costs and currency depreciation. Lastly, firms remained optimistic about future production volumes, though confidence dropped to a year-to-date low.