The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) released its May Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), with the headline composite index at 54.5. This was higher than the forecast of 53.7 and keeps the index in expansion territory for a 23rd consecutive month.
Here is an excerpt from the report summary:
Miller continues, “May’s Services PMI® is the fifth month in a row with an increase in the 12-month PMI® average, up 1.1 percentage points from 51.7 percent in December 2025 to its current 52.8 percent. The Prices Index increased to 71.3 percent, its highest reading since August 2022 (72.6 percent). In this month’s report, petroleum-related products were mentioned as a commodity up in price, a dynamic panelists had not yet reported in April. The Supplier Deliveries Index continued to indicate slower performance; while it eased by dropping 1.6 percentage points in May, its reading of 55.2 is still 2.1 points above its 12-month average.
“Business activity hit its second highest reading since achieving the same reading of 57.7 percent in October 2024, and the New Orders and Supplier Deliveries indexes hit their third highest readings in that time frame. The Employment index, however, hit its second lowest reading since September 2025, 0.5 percentage point below its 12-month average. Respondents commented frequently that their companies had instituted hiring freezes or were not backfilling vacated positions, however, most industries reported that they were holding flat in employment month over month. Respondents reporting that new orders were higher than last month most frequently attributed this to seasonality.
“For the third month in a row, no commodities in the report listed as down in price, with multimonth runs of being up in price for aluminum, copper, diesel, gasoline, software licensing and transportation. Although the Inventories index hit its highest level ever, tied with its reading in May 2010, the Inventory Sentiment was only 0.2 percentage point above its 12-month average. Despite the 9.4-percentage point increase in the Inventories Index compared to April, a 0.1 percentage point increase in the Inventory Sentiment Index indicates respondent confidence that business activity will remain strong amid higher costs, so expanding inventories are not of concern.”
Here is a table showing the PMI's components.
