Growth in the U.S. manufacturing sector gathered momentum in February, with output and new orders both rising at sharper rates than seen at the start of the year. Input costs decreased marginally for the second month running, but firms continued to raise their output prices. Meanwhile, delays in the delivery of items contributed to an accumulation of backlogs of work and a record increase in finished goods stocks. The final seasonally adjusted Markit U.S. Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index™ (PMI™) rose to 55.1 in February from 53.9 in the previous month. The reading signalled the most marked improvement in ... (full story)