Australia's S&P Global Manufacturing PMI fell to 49.6 in September 2026 from 52.0 in August, crossing into contraction territory, according to Finnhub. New orders declined for the first time since June, accompanied by job losses and weaker output. The reading marks a significant reversal from the expansion recorded in the prior month.
Input cost pressures remained elevated during the period, with Middle East supply disruptions continuing to push up oil, raw material, and freight costs, though the rate of input inflation eased slightly from prior months.
The Australian dollar (AUDUSD) is the primary currency pair directly linked to Australian economic conditions. Deterioration in manufacturing activity and new orders represents a shift in the domestic economic data that this currency pair reflects.
No official government or central bank response to the September PMI reading was reported in the cluster at time of publication.
Sources: investinglive.com, Bloomberg Markets