OTTAWA, April 6 (Reuters) - The pace of purchasing activity
in Canada slowed again in March as measures of inventories and
supplier deliveries contracted further, the Ivey Purchasing
Managers Index showed on Wednesday.
The seasonally adjusted index fell to 50.1 from 53.4 in
February, short of analysts' expectations for a pick up to 55.0.
The decrease left the index just barely above the 50 threshold
that indicates an increase in the pace of activity.
It was the second month in a row that activity slowed
following a sharp pullback in February. The unadjusted index,
however, picked up to 57.9 from 56.8.
On an adjusted basis, the inventories and supplier
deliveries components contracted further, falling to 48.6 and
48.5, respectively. The gauge of employment crept up to 50.7,
though input prices also rose to 48.5.
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Graphic - Canada Ivey PMI data and growth http://link.reuters.com/hyp75t
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