American factories are having a moment. The ISM Manufacturing PMI climbed to 55.6 in July 2026, marking seven straight months of expansion and the strongest reading in over four years. For context, anything above 50 signals growth.
The June reading of 53.3 already looked solid. July blew past it, topping economist forecasts and signaling that the manufacturing recovery isn’t just holding, it’s gaining speed.
The numbers behind the streak
The production output index surged to 58.5, its fastest pace since November 2021.
New orders came in at 56.7, suggesting the pipeline of future work remains healthy.
