The composite ISM manufacturing index edged down to 54.4 in September from 56.3 in the prior month. Indexes tracking production (56.5 vs. 59.9 in August), new orders (51.1 vs. 53.1 in August), employment (56.5 vs. 60.4 in August), and vendor deliveries (53.3 vs. 56.6 in August) declined, while the inventories index rose to 55.6 from 51.4 in August. Readings above 50.0 denote an expansion in activity. Although the levels of each of the sub-components of the composite index continue to hold above 50, the declines registered in September, excluding the gain in the inventories index, imply that factory activity advanced at a slower pace in September compared with August.