India, Feb. 20 -- Philadelphia-area manufacturing activity continued to expand in the month of February, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia on Thursday, although the index of activity in the sector pulled back sharply.
The Philly Fed said its diffusion index for current general activity plunged to 18.1 in February after skyrocketing to 44.3 in January, but a positive reading still indicates growth. Economists had expected the index to slump to 20.0.
The steep drop by the headline index came as new orders index dove to 21.9 in February from 42.9 in January and the shipments index tumbled to 26.3 in February from 41.0 in January.
Despite the significant decreases, the Philly Fed noted the indicators ...