Indicators

US Business Activity Expands While Prices Rise Most Since 2022

Workers at the Boeing Co. 737 Max airplane manufacturing facility in Renton, Washington.

Photographer: M. Scott Brauer/Bloomberg

US business activity picked up in April, fueled by the strongest manufacturing growth in nearly four years as war-related supply disruptions prompted a scramble for supplies.

The S&P Global flash composite index rose 1.7 points to a three-month high of 52, data released Thursday showed. Figures above 50 indicate expansion. A measure of prices charged by manufacturers and service providers accelerated to the highest level since mid-2022.