21:41 - 17.08.2026

---

August 17, Fineko/abc.az. According to data released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the general business conditions index for August increased by 5 points to reach 20.6. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists was 10 points.

The outlook for the next six months improved as order expectations reached their highest level since 2022.

The manufacturing sector gained momentum this year driven by durable consumer demand and strong business investments in artificial intelligence infrastructure. However, companies are navigating rising input costs caused by Middle East conflict tensions.

The index for unfilled orders rose 10.5 points to 15.5, marking its highest level since April 2022. The index for prices paid for materials rose for the first time since May, while the prices received index declined.