US: Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in May - ISM

"The May PMI registered 54.9 percent, an increase of 0.1 percentage point from the April reading of 54.8 percent. The New Orders Index registered 59.5 percent, an increase of 2 percentage points from the April reading of 57.5 percent," Institute for Supply Management Manufacturing Business Survey Committee said on Thursday.

Key quotes:

• The Production Index registered 57.1 percent, a 1.5 percentage points decrease compared to the April reading of 58.6 percent.
• The Employment Index registered 53.5 percent, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from the April reading of 52 percent.
• The Inventories Index registered 51.5 percent, an increase of 0.5 percentage point from the April reading of 51 percent.
• The Prices Index registered 60.5 percent in May, a decrease of 8 percentage points from the April reading of 68.5 percent, indicating higher raw materials prices for the 15th consecutive month, but at a noticeably slower rate of increase in May compared with April