{"id":53885,"date":"2025-10-01T04:38:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-01T08:38:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-manufacturing-stumbles-gold-shines-as-central-banks-hold-steady\/53885\/"},"modified":"2025-10-01T04:38:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T08:38:26","slug":"global-manufacturing-stumbles-gold-shines-as-central-banks-hold-steady","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-manufacturing-stumbles-gold-shines-as-central-banks-hold-steady\/53885\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Manufacturing Stumbles, Gold Shines as Central Banks Hold Steady"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-manufacturing-stumbles-gold-shines-as-central-banks-hold-steady\/53885\/#Key_Takeaways\" >Key Takeaways<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-manufacturing-stumbles-gold-shines-as-central-banks-hold-steady\/53885\/#Global_Manufacturing_Sector_Shows_Continued_Weakness\" >Global Manufacturing Sector Shows Continued Weakness<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-manufacturing-stumbles-gold-shines-as-central-banks-hold-steady\/53885\/#Gold_Shines_Amidst_Market_Volatility_Equities_See_Mixed_Signals\" >Gold Shines Amidst Market Volatility; Equities See Mixed Signals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-manufacturing-stumbles-gold-shines-as-central-banks-hold-steady\/53885\/#Pension_Fund_Divestment_and_Corporate_Developments\" >Pension Fund Divestment and Corporate Developments<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-manufacturing-stumbles-gold-shines-as-central-banks-hold-steady\/53885\/#Central_Bank_Stance_and_Regulatory_Moves\" >Central Bank Stance and Regulatory Moves<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"#\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/global-manufacturing-stumbles-gold-shines-as-central-banks-hold-steady\/53885\/#Energy_and_Geopolitical_Updates\" >Energy and Geopolitical Updates<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Key_Takeaways\"><\/span>Key Takeaways<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Global manufacturing activity remains subdued<\/strong>, with <strong>UK<\/strong>, <strong>Eurozone<\/strong>, and <strong>German<\/strong> PMIs indicating continued contraction or stagnation in September.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Spot <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/metal\/gold\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"gold price today\">gold<\/a><\/strong> surged by nearly <strong>1%<\/strong>, approaching <strong>$3,900 per ounce<\/strong>, amidst broader market uncertainty and a drop in <strong>US Stock Index Futures<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Nike (<a href=\"\/stock\/NKE\">NKE<\/a>)<\/strong> shares climbed <strong>3%<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/movers\/premarket\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Premarket Movers\">premarket<\/a> following unexpected <strong>Q1 revenue growth<\/strong>, while <strong>UBS<\/strong> raised its target price for <strong>ASML (<a href=\"\/stock\/ASML\">ASML<\/a>)<\/strong> to <strong>EUR 940<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>ABP<\/strong>, a major Dutch pension fund, divested its stake in <strong>Caterpillar (<a href=\"\/stock\/CAT\">CAT<\/a>)<\/strong>, signaling a potential shift in investment strategies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos<\/strong> affirmed that current interest rates are appropriate, while the <strong>U.S.<\/strong> is reportedly seeking to repeal a <strong>Basel<\/strong> rule change that aided <strong>BNP Paribas (<a href=\"\/stock\/BNP.PA\">BNP.PA<\/a>)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Global_Manufacturing_Sector_Shows_Continued_Weakness\"><\/span>Global Manufacturing Sector Shows Continued Weakness<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The manufacturing sector across Europe continued to face headwinds in September. The <strong>UK S&amp;P Global Manufacturing PMI<\/strong> finalized at <strong>46.2<\/strong>, confirming preliminary estimates and signaling ongoing contraction. Similarly, the <strong>Eurozone HCOB Manufacturing PMI<\/strong> came in at <strong>49.8<\/strong>, slightly above the preliminary <strong>49.5<\/strong> but still indicating a sector struggling to expand.<\/p>\n<p>Germany, the Eurozone&#39;s largest economy, also saw its <strong>September Manufacturing PMI<\/strong> at <strong>49.5<\/strong>, an improvement from the preliminary <strong>48.5<\/strong> but still below the crucial 50-point mark separating growth from contraction. Adding to the somber outlook, <strong>German engineering orders<\/strong> fell <strong>7% year-over-year<\/strong> in August, with both domestic and foreign orders declining. In Norway, the <strong>DNB\/NIMA Manufacturing PMI<\/strong> registered <strong>49.9<\/strong>, indicating near stagnation.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gold_Shines_Amidst_Market_Volatility_Equities_See_Mixed_Signals\"><\/span>Gold Shines Amidst Market Volatility; Equities See Mixed Signals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Amidst the global economic concerns, <strong>spot gold<\/strong> extended its gains, rising nearly <strong>1%<\/strong> to <strong>$3,895.09 per ounce<\/strong>. This surge comes as <strong>US Stock Index Futures<\/strong> experienced a drop, reflecting broader market cautiousness.<\/p>\n<p>However, there were bright spots in corporate equities. <strong>Nike (<a href=\"\/stock\/NKE\">NKE<\/a>)<\/strong> shares rose <strong>3%<\/strong> in <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/movers\/premarket\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Premarket Movers\">premarket<\/a> trading after the company reported surprise <strong>Q1 revenue growth<\/strong>. Additionally, <strong>UBS<\/strong> demonstrated confidence in the semiconductor equipment sector by raising its target price for <strong>ASML (<a href=\"\/stock\/ASML\">ASML<\/a>)<\/strong> to <strong>EUR 940<\/strong> from <strong>EUR 750<\/strong>. Looking ahead, <strong>EPS estimates for the <a href=\"https:\/\/stockmarketwatch.com\/indices\/sp500\/today\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"snp500 today\">S&amp;P 500<\/a><\/strong> now exceed <strong>$300 for 2026<\/strong>, pointing to <strong>14% year-over-year growth<\/strong>, suggesting underlying fundamental strength despite recent seasonality.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pension_Fund_Divestment_and_Corporate_Developments\"><\/span>Pension Fund Divestment and Corporate Developments<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In a notable move, the giant Dutch pension fund <strong>ABP<\/strong> announced the sale of its stake in heavy equipment manufacturer <strong>Caterpillar (<a href=\"\/stock\/CAT\">CAT<\/a>)<\/strong>. This divestment by one of Europe&#39;s largest pension funds could signal a growing trend in ESG-driven investment decisions.<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, <strong>Siemens (<a href=\"\/stock\/SIEGY\">SIEGY<\/a>)<\/strong> secured an order from <strong>Alpha Trains<\/strong> for <strong>15 locomotives<\/strong>, highlighting continued investment in rail infrastructure. <strong>Hyundai Motor America<\/strong> reported robust September sales, with <strong>71,003 units<\/strong> sold, marking a <strong>14% increase<\/strong> compared to September 2024.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Central_Bank_Stance_and_Regulatory_Moves\"><\/span>Central Bank Stance and Regulatory Moves<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>ECB Vice President Luis de Guindos<\/strong> reiterated the European Central Bank&#39;s current stance, stating that the <em>current level of rates is the correct one<\/em>. He also indicated that the ECB would make a clear recommendation regarding the reduction of capital buffers.<\/p>\n<p>Across the Atlantic, the <strong>United States<\/strong> is reportedly seeking the repeal of a <strong>Basel<\/strong> rule change that had previously aided <strong>BNP Paribas (<a href=\"\/stock\/BNP.PA\">BNP.PA<\/a>)<\/strong>, potentially impacting international banking regulations.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Energy_and_Geopolitical_Updates\"><\/span>Energy and Geopolitical Updates<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In the energy sector, <strong>Italy&#39;s Energy Minister<\/strong> stated that the <strong>EU<\/strong> has not yet reached a deal to ban <strong>Russian LNG<\/strong> before <strong>2028<\/strong>, as some member countries lack alternative suppliers. Meanwhile, the <strong>US<\/strong> extended its waiver of sanctions on <strong>Serbia&#39;s Russian-owned Nis Oil Company (<a href=\"\/stock\/NIS\">NIS<\/a>)<\/strong> until October 8. A fire at the <strong>Yaroslavl oil refinery<\/strong> was successfully extinguished. In Africa, a <strong>Nigeria oil union<\/strong> agreed to call off its strike following talks with <strong>Dangote Petroleum<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>In other geopolitical news, <strong>Poland<\/strong> announced it would extend controls on its borders with <strong>Germany<\/strong> and <strong>Lithuania<\/strong> until April 4. Separately, <strong>Norway<\/strong> continues to lead in electric vehicle adoption, with <strong>EV sales<\/strong> hitting <strong>98.3%<\/strong> of new car registrations in September.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Takeaways Global manufacturing activity remains subdued, with UK, Eurozone, and German PMIs indicating continued contraction or stagnation in September. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"rank_math_schema_Article":[],"rank_math_focus_keyword":[],"rank_math_description":[],"financial_data_references":[],"stock_symbols_mentioned":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[5012],"tags":[1684,5030,5033,5102,5125,5134,7503,8893],"class_list":["post-53885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","tag-gold","tag-energy","tag-europe","tag-us","tag-equities","tag-central-banks","tag-manufacturing-pmi","tag-esg"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53885"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53885\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www2.stockmarketwatch.com\/stock-market-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}