Manufacturing output down in August; investments by Reckitt, Hitachi

U.S. industrial production remained flat month over month in August, with manufacturing output contracting 0.3% following a seven-month growth streak, according to the Federal Reserve. Durable goods manufacturing saw a 0.5% decline, while nondurable manufacturing remained unchanged. Capacity utilization held steady at 76.3%, sitting 3.1 percentage points below its historical average from 1972–2025.
Metalworking machinery orders topped $500 million in July for the fifth consecutive month,