Category Archives: Building & Construction

6/1/16: Irish Manufacturing, Services & Construction PMIs: 4Q 2015


Time to update Irish quarterly PMI readings for 4Q 2015. Please note: the following refer to average PMI readings per quarter as supplied by Markit.

Irish Manufacturing PMI averaged 53.7 in 4Q 2015, down slightly on 54.7 in 3Q 2015 and the lowest quarterly reading since 4Q 2013 (jointly tied for that honour with 1Q 2014). The quarterly average has now declined in every quarter since the period peak in 4Q 2014.  Still, at 53.7 we have rather solid growth signal as is. On y/y basis, Manufacturing PMI is now down 5.1% after falling 2.6% in 3Q 2015 and rising 0.7% in 2Q 2015. 4Q 2015 marks tenth consecutive quarter of above 50.0 readings for the sector, with all of these readings being statistically above 50.0 as well. The trend in growth is down.

Irish Services PMI slipped from 62.6 in 3Q 2015 to 61.8 in 4Q 2015, down 1.3% q/q after posting a 1.4% rise q/q in 3Q 2015. On annual basis, the PMI fell 0.11% having previously risen 0.91% in 3Q 2015 and falling 0.48% in 2Q 2015. This marks 20th consecutive quarter of above 50.0 readings in the sector. In level terms, 61.8 signals robust growth in the sector, so it is a positive signal, albeit over time consistent with quite a bit of volatility and no strongly defined trend.

Irish Construction sector PMI (through November 2015) for 4Q 2015 stood at 55.9, down from, 57.1 in 3Q 2015 and marking the second consecutive quarter of index declines. Q/Q index was down 7.95% in 3Q 2015 and it was also down 2.16% in 4Q 2015. Y/Y, index was up 1.42% in 2Q 2015, down 7.6% in 3Q 2015 and down 12.4% in 4Q 2015. Volatile movements in the series still indicate downward trend in growth in the sector.


Chart above summarises the sub-trends, with Services trending very sluggishly up, while Manufacturing and Construction trending down.

As shown in the chart above, my estimated Composite measure, relating to PMIs (using sectoral weights in quarterly GDP figures) posted moderation in growth rate in 4Q 2015.  Composite Index including construction sector stood at 54.4 in 4Q 2015, down from 55.5 in 3Q 2015, hitting the lowest reading since 3Q 2013. This marks second consecutive quarter of declining Composite Index. Index is now down 1.9% q/q having previously fallen 3.8% q/q in 3Q 2015. In y/y terms, Composite Index was up 0.8% y/y in 2Q 2015, down 3.5% y/y in 3Q 2015 and down 6.52% y/y in 4Q 2015. While levels of Index suggest relatively robust growth in the economy across three key sectors, there is a downward trend in the growth rate over time.

So in the nutshell, Irish PMIs continue to signal robust growth, albeit the rate of growth appears to be slowing down along the new sub-trend present from 1Q 2015 on.


Two charts to highlight relationship between PMI signals and GDP and GNP growth rates (data through 3Q 2015).




10/7/15: Irish Quarterly PMIs: Manufacturing, Services & Construction


Irish PMI for June, released earlier this month by Markit (co-branded by Investec) give us a chance to look at quarterly activity. Given volatility in both Manufacturing and Services activity in the monthly data, this provides a slightly better potential insight into what is going on in the economy (see caveat at the bottom of the post).

Q2 2015 average PMI for Manufacturing sector reads 55.8 - the lowest for any quarter since Q2 2014, but still solidly in an expansion range. Q2 2015 marks second consecutive quarter of declining manufacturing PMI readings. However, on a positive side, Q2 2015 was the 8th consecutive quarter of readings above 50. Year on year, growth in the sector remained largely unchanged and growth de-accelerated on a quarterly basis.

Q2 2015 average PMI for Services rose marginally to 61.8 from 61.6 in 1Q 2015 and is below 62.1 average for Q2 2014. Q2 2015 marks 18th consecutive quarterly reading above 50 for the Services sector. Year on year, growth slowed down in the Services sector and quarter on quarter it remained largely static.

Construction sector PMI (co-branded with Ulster Bank) posted quarterly average of 60.3 in Q2 2015, well above 54.0 average for Q1 2015, but below 61.2 average for Q2 2014. Thus, year on year growth fell in the Construction sector, but there was a significant acceleration in quarter on quarter growth. Q2 2015 marks 8th consecutive quarter with average PMI above 50.0.


Composite PMI (subject to future revisions due to sectoral weights changes once we have Q1 and Q2 national accounts) posted a reading of 60.4 in Q2 2015, up on 59.0 in Q1 2015 and marginally higher than 60.2 reading in Q2 2014. Year on year, composite PMI signalled basically static performance, while quarterly growth improved somewhat in Q2 2015.


Caveat: Irish PMI readings have very low direct correlation to actual growth in the economy, measured by either GDP or GNP. Historically, PMIs levels and changes explain at most ca 10.6 percent of variations in GNP and at most 8.8 percent of variations in GDP. In other words, booming PMIs, on average, do not translate into booming economy. 

15/5/15: Irish Construction PMI: April Stronger PMI, but Overall Activity is Weak


Irish Construction Sector PMI for April was released by Markit earlier this week. Here are the main points:

Overall Activity Index in Irish construction rose to 57.2 in April from 52.9 in March, bringing index back to the levels of January 2015. Current 3mo average is at 54.0 against 3mo average through January 2015 at 61.2, showing a clear slowdown in activity growth over most recent three months.


All three components of the index posted increases in April, with Civil engineering Activity index reaching above 50 marker (to read 51.0) for the first time since January 2015.



It is worth noting that Construction Sector PMIs have been pretty much out of touch with actual construction sector activity. Current readings on PMIs side signal blistering growth in activity and this is sustained, on average from the start of Q2 2013. Yet, Irish construction sector remains the second worst performing sector in the EU since the start of the crisis:


You can see the disconnection between PMIs (these are quarterly averages) and Construction sector actual performance setting in post Q2 2013 here: