The manufacturing sector in Australia fell into contraction territory in March, the latest survey from S&P Global revealed on Wednesday with a manufacturing PMI score of 49.8.
That's down from 51.0 in February and it moves beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.
Manufacturers posted a renewed fall in new orders at the end of the first quarter, thereby ending a four-month sequence of growth. Muted customer demand and a drop in market confidence were among the factors leading to the decline, according to respondents.
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June 19, 2026 16:46 ET Major central banks continued to dominate the economic news flow this week too, led by the Federal Reserve, as they announced their latest policy decisions. The Federal Reserve policy session was in focus as it was the first to be led by the new chief Kevin Warsh. In Europe, central banks of the U.K. and Switzerland announced their rate decisions. In Asia, the Bank of Japan drew attention for its policy moves, while data out of China threw some light on the state of the economy.