NEMA Motors Index Surges in Q2

NEMA's Motors Shipments Index (MSI) jumped 7.8 percent during the second quarter of 2010. On a year-over-year basis, the index registered a 16.1 percent rate of growth, but still remains approximately 16 percent below its peak. Of the index's two underlying categories, inflation- and seasonally-adjusted shipments of fractional horsepower motors accounted for the entirety of the quarter's growth while demand for integral horsepower motors remained surprisingly lackluster, particularly given the solid growth occurring in the broader manufacturing sector.