10:11 AM EST, 03/05/2025 (MT Newswires) -- The Institute for Supply Management's US services index rose to a reading of 53.5 in February from 52.8 in January, compared with expectations for a decrease to a reading of 52.5 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:25 am ET.

The ISM's reading indicates expansion which is in line with Richmond Fed, Dallas Fed, Kansas City and the S&P Global measures but in contrast with the New York Fed and the Philadelphia Fed measures that signaled contraction.

There were gains in the readings for new orders, employment and prices, but a decline in the production reading.

The monthly national services reading from the Institute for Supply Management is reported as a headline index, with readings above 50 indicating expansion and those below 50 indicating contraction. Component indexes measure new orders, production, employment, and prices.

An increase in the index further above 50 is considered a sign of a strong US services sector and would be a positive for service-sector stocks. Rising prices would normally be a negative for both stocks and bonds.