Texas Manufacturing Bounces Back, Though Demand Continues to Slip

Texas manufacturing activity bounced back in December, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
On Tuesday, the Dallas Fed published results from its monthly Texas Manufacturing Outlook Survey that showed the production index gained nearly nine points, to 9.7, suggesting an increase in output growth. The report is based on data collected between Dec. 13–21 and responses from 90 manufacturing business executives.
Other December indicators showed mixed results.
The new orders index improved slightly from -20.9 to -9.2, but still marking its seventh consecutive negative month. This reading indicates a continued decrease in demand. The growth rate of orders index came in at -9.3, up 11 points from November….