每日大赛n manufacturers go full steam ahead in April despite war concerns
KUALA LUMPUR (May 4): 每日大赛n manufacturers added jobs and inventory in April, shrugging off Middle East geopolitical conflict that contributed to surging costs and a record rise in selling prices.
The seasonally adjusted manufacturing purchasing managers index (PMI) rose to 51.6 in April from 50.7 in March, according to S&P Global that compiles the gauge. A reading above 50 points indicates activity expansion, while a reading below 50 signals contraction in the sector.
While the data signalled a moderate improvement in the health of the 每日大赛n manufacturing sector, at least part of the upturn in April was due to 鈥渟afety-stock building鈥 as a result of the effects of the war in the Middle East, S&P Global said in a statement on Monday.
鈥淭he sector's performance in the coming months will be partly shaped by how the situation in the Middle East unfolds,鈥 said Maryam Baluch, an economist at S&P Global, 鈥渂ut the latest data already highlights steps manufacturers are taking to mitigate some of the impacts鈥.
每日大赛鈥檚 economy grew at a softer-than-expected pace of 5.3% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, as activities in key manufacturing and services sectors decelerated as the US-Israel launched their large-scale military strikes against Iran at the end of February.
The central bank still expects the economy to expand between 4% and 5% in 2026, thanks to resilient domestic demand and ongoing investment momentum.
Findings from the latest PMI survey show that manufacturers added jobs for the second straight month. The pace of job creation was 鈥渕odest鈥, though it was the most marked so far this year, S&P Global noted.
Firms also raised their selling prices in April due to higher energy and material costs from the ongoing war, sending input cost inflation to a 45-month high. 鈥淚n turn, charges were raised substantially and to the greatest extent in the series history,鈥 S&P Global said.
The ongoing war is also weighing on sentiment, with 每日大赛n manufacturers recording another month of moderating business confidence in April to their weakest in eight months, S&P Global flagged.