US manufacturing activity index drops to 49.1%, amidst tariff war
Amidst the ongoing Sino-American trade war, a leading gauge of U.S. manufacturing activity fell into contraction territory last month.
For the first time during U.S. President Donald Trump's tenure, the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index dropped to a reading of 49.1% in August - from 51.2% in July. The reading also came in lower than the 51.5% that economists had projected for August.
Any reading below the 50% level for the above-mentioned index is an indication of contraction in manufacturing activity.
Manufacturing accounts for 12% of U.S. gross domestic product (compared to consumer spending share of around 70%). The manufacturing survey should not typically signal a recession in the overall economy until readings fall below 42.9%, according to the institute.
While much of the U.S.-China tariff war narrative apparently centers around the objective of boosting U.S. industries, the decline in U.S. manufacturing activity could potentially imply headwinds to U.S. producers from rising tariff-induced costs of buying inputs/materials.
Contributor
Sergey Savastiouk, Ph.D. has a degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow University and has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor, manager, and mathematician. His professional expertise is in applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, system and pattern analysis, and software and hardware system integration. He has served as the CEO of several hi-tech start-up companies and nonprofit organizations, which has given him proven capabilities in business strategy for high-tech start-up companies, market assessment, company formation, team building, product development, marketing, and sales. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines on related fields. As a retail investor, he spent 15 years developing his proprietary trading and quantitative algorithms (now Tickeron’s A.I.), which brought him significant returns in trading the stock market. His current work and goal in founding Tickeron is to bring professional, sophisticated stock market analysis capabilities to retail investors via an easy-to-use interface.
DIA in -0.73% downward trend, falling for three consecutive days on August 18, 2026
Moving lower for three straight days is viewed as a bearish sign. Keep an eye on this stock for future declines. Considering data from situations where DIA declined for three days, in of 261 cases, the price declined further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for DIA moved out of overbought territory on August 06, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 46 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In of the 46 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at .
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on August 18, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on DIA as a result. In of 84 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for DIA turned negative on August 17, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 53 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 53 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator shows that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 3 days. The price of this ticker is presumed to bounce back soon, since the longer the ticker stays in the oversold zone, the more promptly an upward trend is expected.
Following a 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where DIA advanced for three days, in of 360 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
DIA may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
Notable companies
Industry description
Market Cap
High and low price notable news
Volume
Fundamental Analysis Ratings
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
Advertisement
General Information
Category LargeValue
Advertisement