The performance of the global manufacturing sector continued to weaken at the end of the second quarter. Production fell for the first time since October 2012, as new order contracted at the fastest pace for almost seven years. Business optimism slumped to a series-record low. At 49.4 in June, the J.P.Morgan Global Manufacturing PMI – a composite index1 produced by J.P.Morgan and IHS Markit in association with ISM and IFPSM – fell to its lowest level for over six-and-a-half years and posted back-to-back sub-50.0 readings for the first time since the second half of 2012. Later-than-usual release dates meant ... (full story)