US Business Activity Growth Slows While Price Pressures Mount

US business activity expanded in December at the slowest pace in six months, while a measure of input prices jumped to a more than three-year high.

The S&P Global flash December composite output index fell 1.2 points to 53, data released Tuesday showed. Figures above 50 indicate expansion. The composite prices-paid gauge rose nearly 3 points to 64.1.

“ A key concern is rising costs, with inflation jumping sharply to its highest since November 2022, which fed through to one of the steepest increases in selling charges for the past three years,” Chris Williamson, chief business economist at S&P Global ...