The ISM Services PMI rose to 55.4 in August 2026 from 54.1 in July, beating forecasts of 54.3. The reading pointed to the strongest gain in the services sector in six months, with business activity (61.7 vs 59.1), new orders (60.9 vs 57.2), inventories (56.7 vs 51.4) all rising at a faster pace. Also, employment continued to contract (47.8 vs 47.4) and price pressures intensified (72.6 vs 70.3)