USA: Industrial Output Rises More than Expected.

Industrial production in the United States increased 0.2% month-over-month in February 2026, more than market expectations of 0.1% and after moving up 0.7% in January. Manufacturing output, which makes up about 78% of total industrial production, rose 0.2% after a 0.8% advance in January and also above forecast of 0.1%. Also, mining output increased 0.8%, following a 0.9% increase. On the other hand, the output of utilities fell 0.6%, reflecting no change in the index for electric utilities and a 4.7% drop in the index for natural gas utilities. Capacity utilization remained unchanged at 76.3%, a rate that is 3.1 percentage points below its long-run (1972–2025) average.