Manufacturers are getting squeezed.
The Kansas City Fed data shows something uncomfortable: what companies pay for inputs just hit the highest level since mid-2022, while what they can charge customers dropped sharply in October.
That gap? It's widening fast.
This is the classic margin compression story. When you can't pass costs through, someone eats it. Usually it's profits first, then jobs, then capex.
Watch this spread. It tells you more about real economic stress than most headlines will.
The Kansas City Fed data shows something uncomfortable: what companies pay for inputs just hit the highest level since mid-2022, while what they can charge customers dropped sharply in October.
That gap? It's widening fast.
This is the classic margin compression story. When you can't pass costs through, someone eats it. Usually it's profits first, then jobs, then capex.
Watch this spread. It tells you more about real economic stress than most headlines will.