Chemical Activity Barometer Shows Slight Rise in March
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB) rose 0.1% in March on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis.
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), rose 0.1% in March on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis, the first gain in five months. On a year-over-year (Y/Y) basis, the barometer is down 0.3% (3MMA).
The unadjusted measure of the CAB rose 0.3% in March, following six months of shrinking activity. It declined 0.1% in February and had a flat reading in January. The diffusion index rebounded to 65% in March, up from 57% in February. A year earlier, it was 71%. The diffusion index marks the number of positive contributors relative to the total number of indicators monitored.