US Services Economy Tumbles To Weakest Since Weather-Crushed January

In January when Markit Services PMI printed 54.2, the weakness was blamed on weather (and port strikes). Now it is sunny October, following the warmest September ever on Earth, and Services PMI has plunged to 54.4 - its lowest in 9 months (handily missing the 55.5 bounce expectation). This flash data shows the weakest payroll numbers since February and business confidence remains just marginally higher than the three-year lows of July. As Markit warns this weakness "will add to calls for policymakers to delay hiking interest rates until the economy finds a firmer footing."  Read more