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Manufacturing PMI® at 50.3%; February 2025 Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®
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1 year agoon
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New Orders and Backlogs Contracting; Production Growing and Employment Contracting; Supplier Deliveries Slowing; Raw Materials Inventories Contracting; Customers’ Inventories Too Low; Prices Increasing; Exports and Imports Growing
TEMPE, Ariz., March 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded for the second month in a row in February after 26 consecutive months of contraction, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business®.
The report was issued today by Timothy R. Fiore, CPSM, C.P.M., Chair of the Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee:
“The Manufacturing PMI® registered 50.3 percent in February, 0.6 percentage point lower compared to the 50.9 percent recorded in January. The overall economy continued in expansion for the 58th month after one month of contraction in April 2020. (A Manufacturing PMI® above 42.3 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy.) The New Orders Index dropped back into contraction territory after expanding for three months, registering 48.6 percent, 6.5 percentage points lower than the 55.1 percent recorded in January. The February reading of the Production Index (50.7 percent) is 1.8 percentage points lower than January’s figure of 52.5 percent. The index expanded for the second month in a row after eight months in contraction. The Prices Index surged further into expansion (or ‘increasing’) territory, registering 62.4 percent, up 7.5 percentage points compared to the reading of 54.9 percent in January. The Backlog of Orders Index registered 46.8 percent, up 1.9 percentage points compared to the 44.9 percent recorded in January. The Employment Index registered 47.6 percent, down 2.7 percentage points from January’s figure of 50.3 percent.
“The Supplier Deliveries Index indicated further slowing deliveries, registering 54.5 percent, 3.6 percentage points higher than the 50.9 percent recorded in January. (Supplier Deliveries is the only ISM® Report On Business® index that is inversed; a reading of above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries, which is typical as the economy improves and customer demand increases.) The Inventories Index registered 49.9 percent, up 4 percentage points compared to January’s reading of 45.9 percent.
“The New Export Orders Index reading of 51.4 percent is 1 percentage point lower than the reading of 52.4 percent registered in January. The Imports Index continued in expansion in February, registering 52.6 percent, 1.5 percentage points higher than January’s reading of 51.1 percent.”
Fiore continues, “U.S. manufacturing activity expanded marginally for the second month in a row in February after 26 consecutive months of contraction. Demand weakened, while output stabilized and inputs, for the first time in several months, contributed to PMI® growth. Indications that demand weakened include: the (1) New Orders Index dropped into contraction territory, (2) New Export Orders Index continued expanding, but at a slower rate, (3) Backlog of Orders Index continued in contraction, but moved upward, and (4) Customers’ Inventories Index moved further into ‘too low’ territory. Output (measured by the Production and Employment indexes) was stable. Factory output marginally expanded compared to January, indicating that panelists’ companies are being cautious about ramping up output in the face of economic headwinds. The Employment Index moved back into contraction, as panelists’ companies continued to release workers. More companies cited ‘attriting down’ as the best process, with destaffing not as urgent as it was in the second half of 2024. Inputs — defined as supplier deliveries, inventories, prices and imports — revealed the first signs of supplier difficulties due to some pull-forward deliveries and discussions about who will pay for tariffs. Inventories recovered somewhat as a result.
“Demand eased, production stabilized, and destaffing continued as panelists’ companies experience the first operational shock of the new administration’s tariff policy. Prices growth accelerated due to tariffs, causing new order placement backlogs, supplier delivery stoppages and manufacturing inventory impacts. Although tariffs do not go into force until mid-March, spot commodity prices have already risen about 20 percent. Twenty-four percent of manufacturing gross domestic product (GDP) contracted in February, down from 43 percent in January. The share of manufacturing sector GDP registering a composite PMI® calculation at or below 45 percent (a good barometer of overall manufacturing weakness) was 2 percent in February, a 6-percentage point improvement compared to the 8 percent reported in January. Of the six largest manufacturing industries, four (Petroleum & Coal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Chemical Products; and Transportation Equipment) expanded in February, equaling the number in January,” says Fiore.
The 10 manufacturing industries reporting growth in February — listed in order — are: Petroleum & Coal Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Primary Metals; Wood Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Chemical Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Fabricated Metal Products; and Transportation Equipment. The five industries reporting contraction in February are: Furniture & Related Products; Textile Mills; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Computer & Electronic Products; and Machinery.
WHAT RESPONDENTS ARE SAYING
“The tariff environment regarding products from Mexico and Canada has created uncertainty and volatility among our customers and increased our exposure to retaliatory measures from these countries.” [Chemical Products]”Customers are pausing on new orders as a result of uncertainty regarding tariffs. There is no clear direction from the administration on how they will be implemented, so it’s harder to project how they will affect business.” [Transportation Equipment]”Tariff impact has been minimal to overall manufacturing and raw material supply. Limits on U.S. government spending in key organizations like the Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency and National Institutes of Health are delaying some orders.” [Computer & Electronic Products]”Inflation and pricing pressure continue to drive uncertainty in our 2025 outlook. We are seeing volume impacts due to pricing, with customers buying less and looking for substitution options.” [Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products]”The incoming tariffs are causing our products to increase in price. Sweeping price increases are incoming from suppliers. Most are noting increases in labor costs. Vendors are indicating open capacity. Inflationary pressures are a concern. Our company is working diligently to see how the new tariffs will affect our business.” [Machinery]”Business is still slow, but some indications of improved demand are six to nine months out. Steel and scrap costs are increasing, and it’s too early to tell how high they will go.” [Fabricated Metal Products]”New orders continue to be strong after picking up in December. The uncertainty about tariffs keeps us cautious on spending, despite the strong sales right now.” [Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components]”Management now has us running scenarios to project tariff impacts to our business. They want numbers in 24 hours on variables that equate to a wild guess. Interesting times we live in.” [Nonmetallic Mineral Products]”Internal analysis ongoing about impact of tariffs, but nothing concrete yet. General business conditions remain tepid; outlook on the durables side growing more pessimistic with growing domestic inventories of automobiles.” [Plastics & Rubber Products]”Customer volumes seem to be better than 2024. However, customers are still very hesitant to commit to long-term volumes due to the market uncertainty caused by proposed tariffs on steel/aluminum imports.” [Primary Metals]
MANUFACTURING AT A GLANCE
February 2025
Index
Series
Index
Feb
Series
Index
Jan
Percentage
Point
Change
Direction
Rate of
Change
Trend*
(Months)
Manufacturing PMI®
50.3
50.9
-0.6
Growing
Slower
2
New Orders
48.6
55.1
-6.5
Contracting
From
Growing
1
Production
50.7
52.5
-1.8
Growing
Slower
2
Employment
47.6
50.3
-2.7
Contracting
From
Growing
1
Supplier Deliveries
54.5
50.9
+3.6
Slowing
Faster
3
Inventories
49.9
45.9
+4.0
Contracting
Slower
6
Customers’ Inventories
45.3
46.7
-1.4
Too Low
Faster
5
Prices
62.4
54.9
+7.5
Increasing
Faster
5
Backlog of Orders
46.8
44.9
+1.9
Contracting
Slower
29
New Export Orders
51.4
52.4
-1.0
Growing
Slower
2
Imports
52.6
51.1
+1.5
Growing
Faster
2
OVERALL ECONOMY
Growing
Slower
58
Manufacturing Sector
Growing
Slower
2
Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® data is seasonally adjusted for the New Orders, Production, Employment and Inventories indexes.
*Number of months moving in current direction.
COMMODITIES REPORTED UP/DOWN IN PRICE AND IN SHORT SUPPLY
Commodities Up in Price
Aluminum (15); Cocoa Beans; Copper; Electrical Components; Electronic Components; Labor — Temporary; Natural Gas (5); Plastic Resin; Polypropylene Resin; Solvents; Steel; Steel — Carbon; Steel — Hot Rolled; and Steel — Scrap (2).
Commodities Down in Price
Ocean Freight.
Commodities in Short Supply
Electrical Components (53).
Note: The number of consecutive months the commodity is listed is indicated after each item.
FEBRUARY 2025 MANUFACTURING INDEX SUMMARIES
Manufacturing PMI®
The U.S. manufacturing sector expanded for the second consecutive month in February after 26 months of contraction, as the Manufacturing PMI® registered 50.3 percent, 0.6 percentage point lower compared to the 50.9 percent reported in January. “Although the PMI® took a step back in February, it increased by four percentage points over the three previous months, with the most recent bump in January finally returning the manufacturing sector to expansion. Of the five subindexes that directly factor into the Manufacturing PMI®, two (Production and Supplier Deliveries) were in expansion territory, compared to four in January. Both the Employment and the New Orders indexes returned to contraction. Of the six biggest manufacturing industries, four (Petroleum & Coal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Chemical Products; and Transportation Equipment) registered growth,” says Fiore. A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing sector is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally contracting.
A Manufacturing PMI® above 42.3 percent, over a period of time, generally indicates an expansion of the overall economy. Therefore, the February Manufacturing PMI® indicates the overall economy grew for the 58th straight month after last contracting in April 2020. “The past relationship between the Manufacturing PMI® and the overall economy indicates that the February reading (50.3 percent) corresponds to a change of plus-2.2 percent in real gross domestic product (GDP) on an annualized basis,” says Fiore.
THE LAST 12 MONTHS
Month
Manufacturing
PMI®
Month
Manufacturing
PMI®
Feb 2025
50.3
Aug 2024
47.5
Jan 2025
50.9
Jul 2024
47.0
Dec 2024
49.2
Jun 2024
48.3
Nov 2024
48.4
May 2024
48.5
Oct 2024
46.9
Apr 2024
48.8
Sep 2024
47.5
Mar 2024
49.8
Average for 12 months – 48.6
High – 50.9
Low – 46.9
New Orders
ISM®’s New Orders Index contracted in February after expanding for three consecutive months, registering 48.6 percent, a decrease of 6.5 percentage points compared to January’s figure of 55.1 percent. This is the steepest single-month decline since April 2020, when the index dropped 15.1 percentage points. The New Orders Index hasn’t indicated consistent growth since a 24-month streak of expansion ended in May 2022. “Of the six largest manufacturing sectors, four (Petroleum & Coal Products; Machinery; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Chemical Products) reported increased new orders. The other two, Computer & Electronic Products; and Transportation Equipment, reported declines. Panelists noted a weakening level of demand performance, with a 1.3-to-1 ratio of positive comments versus those expressing concern about near-term demand. Orders have also been impacted by discussions of which party will pay for potential tariff costs, causing a slowing in order placement. In addition, there is diminished confidence not only in additional interest rate cuts, but also the decline in long-term rates affecting durable goods and construction activity,” says Fiore. A New Orders Index above 52.1 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Census Bureau’s series on manufacturing orders (in constant 2000 dollars).
The nine manufacturing industries that reported growth in new orders in February, in order, are: Petroleum & Coal Products; Wood Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Primary Metals; Machinery; Fabricated Metal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Chemical Products. The six industries reporting a decline in new orders in February, in order, are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Paper Products; Furniture & Related Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Computer & Electronic Products; and Transportation Equipment.
New Orders
%Higher
%Same
%Lower
Net
Index
Feb 2025
20.3
62.4
17.3
+3.0
48.6
Jan 2025
26.3
53.7
20.0
+6.3
55.1
Dec 2024
21.0
54.9
24.1
-3.1
52.1
Nov 2024
21.0
54.3
24.7
-3.7
50.3
Production
The Production Index was in expansion territory in February for the second straight month, registering 50.7 percent, 1.8 percentage points lower than the January reading of 52.5 percent. Prior to January’s reading, the index was in contraction territory for eight consecutive months. Prior to the last two months, the last time the index registered above 50 percent was in April 2024 (50.7 percent). Of the six largest manufacturing sectors, three (Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Chemical Products; and Transportation Equipment) reported increased production. “Production levels in February were similar to January’s performance, as order books remain weak and new orders remain elusive,” says Fiore. An index above 52.1 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Federal Reserve Board’s Industrial Production figures.
The seven industries reporting growth in production during the month of February, in order, are: Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Plastics & Rubber Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Chemical Products; and Transportation Equipment. The four industries reporting a decrease in production in February are: Textile Mills; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Paper Products; and Machinery. Six industries reported no change in production levels in February as compared to January.
Production
%Higher
%Same
%Lower
Net
Index
Feb 2025
16.5
68.9
14.6
+1.9
50.7
Jan 2025
19.4
62.1
18.5
+0.9
52.5
Dec 2024
15.3
59.3
25.4
-10.1
49.9
Nov 2024
15.9
63.2
20.9
-5.0
47.5
Employment
ISM®’s Employment Index registered 47.6 percent in February, 2.7 percentage points lower than January’s reading of 50.3 percent. “The index has returned to contraction after expanding for a single month. Since May 2022, the Employment Index has contracted 27 of the last 34 months. Of the six big manufacturing sectors, only one (Transportation Equipment) expanded employment in February. Respondents’ companies are continuing to reduce head counts through layoffs, attrition and hiring freezes. This action is supported by a second straight month with an approximate 1-to-1 ratio of hiring versus staff-reduction comments. Panelists are continuing to release employees as the business environment becomes more unclear,” says Fiore. An Employment Index above 50.3 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data on manufacturing employment.
Of 18 manufacturing industries, the six industries reporting employment growth in February — in the following order — are: Plastics & Rubber Products; Wood Products; Paper Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; and Transportation Equipment. The nine industries reporting a decrease in employment in February, in the following order, are: Textile Mills; Furniture & Related Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Primary Metals; Machinery; Chemical Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Computer & Electronic Products.
Employment
%Higher
%Same
%Lower
Net
Index
Feb 2025
12.0
70.9
17.1
-5.1
47.6
Jan 2025
11.7
75.1
13.2
-1.5
50.3
Dec 2024
7.0
75.3
17.7
-10.7
45.4
Nov 2024
14.2
65.3
20.5
-6.3
48.1
Supplier Deliveries†
Delivery performance of suppliers to manufacturing organizations was slower in February, with the Supplier Deliveries Index registering 54.5 percent, a 3.6-percentage point increase compared to the reading of 50.9 percent reported in January. This expansion follows a contraction (which indicates faster delivery performance) in November, preceded by four consecutive months of slower deliveries, with four straight months of faster deliveries before that. After a reading of 52.4 percent in September 2022, the index went into contraction territory the following month and remained there for 20 out of 21 months, with February 2024 the exception. Of the six big industries, five (Petroleum & Coal Products; Transportation Equipment; Chemical Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Computer & Electronic Products) reported slower supplier deliveries in February. “Supplier deliveries moved further into ‘slower’ territory, as suppliers struggled to meet accelerated delivery requests from customers (due to a potential ports strike and tariffs deployment) and as suppliers and panelists’ companies negotiate who pays for current tariffs, resulting in the slowing of some material deliveries,” says Fiore. A reading below 50 percent indicates faster deliveries, while a reading above 50 percent indicates slower deliveries.
The nine manufacturing industries reporting slower supplier deliveries in February — in the following order — are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Textile Mills; Petroleum & Coal Products; Primary Metals; Transportation Equipment; Chemical Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Computer & Electronic Products. The four industries reporting faster supplier deliveries in February are: Furniture & Related Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Machinery; and Fabricated Metal Products.
Supplier Deliveries
%Slower
%Same
%Faster
Net
Index
Feb 2025
14.9
79.1
6.0
+8.9
54.5
Jan 2025
7.8
86.2
6.0
+1.8
50.9
Dec 2024
6.4
87.4
6.2
+0.2
50.1
Nov 2024
5.7
86.0
8.3
-2.6
48.7
Inventories
The Inventories Index registered 49.9 percent in February, up a notable 4 percentage points compared to the reading of 45.9 percent reported in January. The last time the Inventories Index registered above 50 percent was in August, when it registered 50.2 percent. “Manufacturing inventories marginally contracted in February, as panelists’ companies are asking for earlier deliveries of materials due to a potential ports work stoppage and the financial impacts of tariffs deployment,” says Fiore. An Inventories Index greater than 44.5 percent, over time, is generally consistent with expansion in the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) figures on overall manufacturing inventories (in chained 2000 dollars).
Of 18 manufacturing industries, the seven industries reporting higher inventories in February — listed in order — are: Textile Mills; Petroleum & Coal Products; Furniture & Related Products; Paper Products; Primary Metals; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Chemical Products. The six industries reporting lower inventories in February — in the following order — are: Wood Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Machinery; Fabricated Metal Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Computer & Electronic Products.
Inventories
%Higher
%Same
%Lower
Net
Index
Feb 2025
14.6
72.4
13.0
+1.6
49.9
Jan 2025
12.2
67.4
20.4
-8.2
45.9
Dec 2024
14.4
64.8
20.8
-6.4
48.4
Nov 2024
15.5
63.2
21.3
-5.8
47.7
Customers’ Inventories†
ISM®’s Customers’ Inventories Index registered a reading of 45.3 percent in February, a decrease of 1.4 percentage points compared to the reading of 46.7 percent in January. “Customers’ inventory levels in February dropped into definitive ‘too low’ territory. Panelists are reporting that the amounts of their companies’ products in their customers’ inventories suggest a demand level that is positive for future production,” says Fiore.
The two industries reporting customers’ inventories as too high in February are: Wood Products; and Transportation Equipment. The 10 industries reporting customers’ inventories as too low in February, in order, are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Primary Metals; Computer & Electronic Products; Machinery; Chemical Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components.
Customers’
Inventories
%
Reporting
%Too
High
%About
Right
%Too
Low
Net
Index
Feb 2025
77
8.0
74.6
17.4
-9.4
45.3
Jan 2025
77
9.0
75.4
15.6
-6.6
46.7
Dec 2024
78
11.5
70.3
18.2
-6.7
46.7
Nov 2024
77
10.6
75.5
13.9
-3.3
48.4
Prices†
The ISM® Prices Index registered 62.4 percent in February, 7.5 percentage points higher compared to the January reading of 54.9 percent, indicating raw materials prices increased for the fifth straight month after a decrease in September. This is the largest month-over-month increase in the Prices Index since an increase of 7.7 percentage points in January 2024; there was an 11.5-percentage point gain in March 2022. Of the six largest manufacturing industries, five — Chemical Products; Transportation Equipment; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Machinery; and Computer & Electronic Products — reported price increases in February. “The Prices Index indicated increasing prices in February for the fifth consecutive month, driven by the dramatic increase in commodity prices as a result of new and potential tariffs. Mill materials (steel, aluminum and copper), food elements, plastics and natural gas registered increases similar to the prior month. The plastics increase reversed a decline. Thirty-one percent of companies reported higher prices in February, compared to 21 percent in January,” says Fiore. A Prices Index above 52.8 percent, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Producer Price Index for Intermediate Materials.
In February, the 14 industries that reported paying increased prices for raw materials, in order, are: Wood Products; Textile Mills; Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Chemical Products; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Machinery; Furniture & Related Products; Paper Products; and Computer & Electronic Products. The only industry that reported paying decreased prices for raw materials in February is Petroleum & Coal Products.
Prices
%Higher
%Same
%Lower
Net
Index
Feb 2025
31.4
61.9
6.7
+24.7
62.4
Jan 2025
20.7
68.3
11.0
+9.7
54.9
Dec 2024
14.4
76.1
9.5
+4.9
52.5
Nov 2024
12.2
76.1
11.7
+0.5
50.3
Backlog of Orders†
ISM®’s Backlog of Orders Index registered 46.8 percent, an increase of 1.9 percentage points compared to the January reading of 44.9 percent, indicating order backlogs contracted for the 29th consecutive month after a 27-month period of expansion. None of the six largest manufacturing industries reported expanded order backlogs in February. “It appears that the extensive decline in order books has dramatically slowed, indicated by three months at moderate rather than significant contraction. By definition, the Backlog of Orders Index will be the last of the four demand indicators to enter expansion,” says Fiore.
Of the 18 manufacturing industries, five reported growth in order backlogs in February: Wood Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Primary Metals; and Fabricated Metal Products. The eight industries reporting lower backlogs in February — in the following order — are: Furniture & Related Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Transportation Equipment; Machinery; Chemical Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components.
Backlog of
Orders
%
Reporting
%Higher
%Same
%Lower
Net
Index
Feb 2025
92
14.0
65.5
20.5
-6.5
46.8
Jan 2025
93
12.6
64.6
22.8
-10.2
44.9
Dec 2024
91
14.9
62.0
23.1
-8.2
45.9
Nov 2024
92
14.5
54.6
30.9
-16.4
41.8
New Export Orders†
ISM®’s New Export Orders Index expanded in February for the second consecutive month, registering 51.4 percent in February, down 1 percentage point from January’s reading of 52.4 percent. “The New Export Orders Index reading indicates that export orders grew for a second consecutive month, following an ‘unchanged’ (50 percent) status preceded by six straight months of contraction. New export orders expanded again, as panelists’ comments cited Chinese stimulus impacts and potential counter tariffs levied by Beijing and Europe,” says Fiore.
The four industries reporting growth in new export orders in February are: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Paper Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Computer & Electronic Products. The four industries reporting a decrease in new export orders in February are: Plastics & Rubber Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Transportation Equipment; and Chemical Products. Nine industries reported no change in new export orders in February.
New Export
Orders
%
Reporting
%Higher
%Same
%Lower
Net
Index
Feb 2025
73
12.9
77.0
10.1
+2.8
51.4
Jan 2025
74
12.0
80.8
7.2
+4.8
52.4
Dec 2024
74
10.9
78.2
10.9
0.0
50.0
Nov 2024
75
10.6
76.1
13.3
-2.7
48.7
Imports†
ISM®’s Imports Index increased for the second consecutive month in February posting a reading of 52.6 percent, 1.5 percentage points higher than the reading of 51.1 percent reported in January. “Imports expanded this month again after contracting for seven months in a row, preceded by five consecutive months of expansion and 14 consecutive months of contraction prior to that. Imports remained in expansion as inventory constraints weaken, ports labor turbulence continues, buyers try to get ahead of tariffs and the balance of Lunar New Year deliveries arrive at U.S. ports,” says Fiore.
The seven industries reporting an increase in import volumes in February, in order, are: Wood Products; Furniture & Related Products; Transportation Equipment; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Machinery; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Chemical Products. The three industries that reported lower volumes of imports in February are: Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; and Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components. Seven industries reported no change in new export orders in February as compared to January.
Imports
%
Reporting
%Higher
%Same
%Lower
Net
Index
Feb 2025
85
16.4
72.3
11.3
+5.1
52.6
Jan 2025
85
11.6
78.9
9.5
+2.1
51.1
Dec 2024
85
12.8
73.8
13.4
-0.6
49.7
Nov 2024
83
10.2
74.8
15.0
-4.8
47.6
†The Supplier Deliveries, Customers’ Inventories, Prices, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders, and Imports indexes do not meet the accepted criteria for seasonal adjustments.
Buying Policy
The average commitment lead time for Capital Expenditures in February was 168 days, unchanged from January. The average lead time in February for Production Materials was 85 days, an increase of two days compared to January. The average lead time for Maintenance, Repair and Operating (MRO) Supplies was 45 days, a decrease of two days compared to January.
Percent Reporting
Capital
Expenditures
Hand-to-
Mouth
30 Days
60 Days
90 Days
6 Months
1 Year+
Average
Days
Feb 2025
17
4
9
14
30
26
168
Jan 2025
17
4
8
15
30
26
168
Dec 2024
14
5
8
15
30
28
175
Nov 2024
16
4
9
15
29
27
170
Percent Reporting
Production
Materials
Hand-to-
Mouth
30 Days
60 Days
90 Days
6 Months
1 Year+
Average
Days
Feb 2025
8
22
28
28
8
6
85
Jan 2025
6
25
29
26
9
5
83
Dec 2024
7
25
28
27
8
5
81
Nov 2024
8
24
28
27
9
4
79
Percent Reporting
MRO Supplies
Hand-to-
Mouth
30 Days
60 Days
90 Days
6 Months
1 Year+
Average
Days
Feb 2025
29
37
16
13
4
1
45
Jan 2025
29
34
19
11
6
1
47
Dec 2024
30
35
16
13
5
1
46
Nov 2024
30
34
17
13
6
0
44
About This Report
DO NOT CONFUSE THIS NATIONAL REPORT with the various regional purchasing reports released across the country. The national report’s information reflects the entire U.S., while the regional reports contain primarily regional data from their local vicinities. Also, the information in the regional reports is not used in calculating the results of the national report. The information compiled in this report is for the month of February 2025.
The data presented herein is obtained from a survey of manufacturing supply executives based on information they have collected within their respective organizations. ISM® makes no representation, other than that stated within this release, regarding the individual company data collection procedures. The data should be compared to all other economic data sources when used in decision-making.
Data and Method of Presentation
The Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® is based on data compiled from purchasing and supply executives nationwide. The composition of the Manufacturing Business Survey Committee is stratified according to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) and each of the following NAICS-based industries’ contribution to gross domestic product (GDP): Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Textile Mills; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Paper Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Petroleum & Coal Products; Chemical Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Primary Metals; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; Computer & Electronic Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Transportation Equipment; Furniture & Related Products; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing (products such as medical equipment and supplies, jewelry, sporting goods, toys and office supplies). The data is weighted based on each industry’s contribution to GDP. According to BEA estimates (the average of the fourth quarter 2023 GDP estimate and the GDP estimates for first, second, and third quarter 2024, as released on December 19, 2024), the six largest manufacturing industries are: Chemical Products; Transportation Equipment; Computer & Electronic Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Machinery; and Petroleum & Coal Products.
Survey responses reflect the change, if any, in the current month compared to the previous month. For nine indicators (New Orders, Backlog of Orders, New Export Orders, Imports, Production, Supplier Deliveries, Inventories, Employment, and Prices), this report shows the percentage reporting each response, the net difference between the number of responses in the positive economic direction (higher, better and slower for Supplier Deliveries) and the negative economic direction (lower, worse and faster for Supplier Deliveries), and the diffusion index. For Customers’ Inventories, respondents report their assessment of their customers’ stock levels of respondent companies’ products this month (rather than last month): too high, about right, and too low. Responses are raw data and are never changed. The diffusion index includes the percent of positive responses plus one-half of those responding the same (considered positive).
The resulting single index number for those meeting the criteria for seasonal adjustments (Manufacturing PMI®, New Orders, Production, Employment and Inventories) is then seasonally adjusted to allow for the effects of repetitive intra-year variations resulting primarily from normal differences in weather conditions, various institutional arrangements, and differences attributable to non-moveable holidays. All seasonal adjustment factors are subject annually to relatively minor changes when conditions warrant them. The Manufacturing PMI® is a composite index based on the diffusion indexes of five of the indexes with equal weights: New Orders (seasonally adjusted), Production (seasonally adjusted), Employment (seasonally adjusted), Supplier Deliveries, and Inventories (seasonally adjusted).
Diffusion indexes have the properties of leading indicators and are convenient summary measures showing the prevailing direction of change and the scope of change. A Manufacturing PMI® reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding; below 50 percent indicates that it is generally declining. A Manufacturing PMI® above 42.3 percent, over a period of time, indicates that the overall economy, or gross domestic product (GDP), is generally expanding; below 42.3 percent, it is generally declining. The distance from 50 percent or 42.3 percent is indicative of the extent of the expansion or decline. With some of the indicators within this report, ISM® has indicated the departure point between expansion and decline of comparable government series, as determined by regression analysis. For the Customers’ Inventories Index, numerically, a reading: above 50 percent is “too high,” equal to 50 percent is “about right,” and below 50 percent is “too low.” However, in practice and in the context of other data, customers’ inventories may be considered to be “about right” if the diffusion index is between 52 percent (the high side of about right) and 48 percent (the low side of about right).
The Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® survey is sent out to Manufacturing Business Survey Committee respondents the first part of each month. Respondents are asked to report on information for the current month for U.S. operations only. ISM® receives survey responses throughout most of any given month, with the majority of respondents generally waiting until late in the month to submit responses to give the most accurate picture of current business activity. ISM® then compiles the report for release on the first business day of the following month.
The industries reporting growth, as indicated in the Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® monthly report, are listed in the order of most growth to least growth. For the industries reporting contraction or decreases, those are listed in the order of the highest level of contraction/decrease to the least level of contraction/decrease.
Responses to Buying Policy reflect the percent reporting the current month’s lead time, the approximate weighted number of days ahead for which commitments are made for Capital Expenditures; Production Materials; and Maintenance, Repair and Operating (MRO) Supplies, expressed as hand-to-mouth (five days), 30 days, 60 days, 90 days, six months (180 days), a year or more (360 days), and the weighted average number of days. These responses are raw data, never revised, and not seasonally adjusted.
ISM ROB Content
The Institute for Supply Management® (“ISM”) Report On Business® (both Manufacturing and Non-Manufacturing) (“ISM ROB”) contains information, text, files, images, video, sounds, musical works, works of authorship, applications, and any other materials or content (collectively, “Content”) of ISM (“ISM ROB Content”). ISM ROB Content is protected by copyright, trademark, trade secret, and other laws, and as between you and ISM, ISM owns and retains all rights in the ISM ROB Content. ISM hereby grants you a limited, revocable, nonsublicensable license to access and display on your individual device the ISM ROB Content (excluding any software code) solely for your personal, non-commercial use. The ISM ROB Content shall also contain Content of users and other ISM licensors. Except as provided herein or as explicitly allowed in writing by ISM, you shall not copy, download, stream, capture, reproduce, duplicate, archive, upload, modify, translate, publish, broadcast, transmit, retransmit, distribute, perform, display, sell, or otherwise use any ISM ROB Content.
Except as explicitly and expressly permitted by ISM, you are strictly prohibited from creating works or materials (including but not limited to tables, charts, data streams, time-series variables, fonts, icons, link buttons, wallpaper, desktop themes, online postcards, montages, mashups and similar videos, greeting cards, and unlicensed merchandise) that derive from or are based on the ISM ROB Content. This prohibition applies regardless of whether the derivative works or materials are sold, bartered, or given away. You shall not either directly or through the use of any device, software, internet site, web-based service, or other means remove, alter, bypass, avoid, interfere with, or circumvent any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary notices marked on the Content or any digital rights management mechanism, device, or other content protection or access control measure associated with the Content including geo-filtering mechanisms. Without prior written authorization from ISM, you shall not build a business utilizing the Content, whether or not for profit.
You shall not create, recreate, distribute, incorporate in other work, or advertise an index of any portion of the Content unless you receive prior written authorization from ISM. Requests for permission to reproduce or distribute ISM ROB Content can be made by contacting in writing at: ISM Research, Institute for Supply Management, 309 West Elliot Road, Suite 113, Tempe, Arizona 85284-1556, or by emailing kcahill@ismworld.org. Subject: Content Request.
ISM shall not have any liability, duty, or obligation for or relating to the ISM ROB Content or other information contained herein, any errors, inaccuracies, omissions or delays in providing any ISM ROB Content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. In no event shall ISM be liable for any special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of the ISM ROB. Report On Business®, PMI®, Manufacturing PMI®, Services PMI®, Hospital PMI®, and NMI® are registered trademarks of Institute for Supply Management®. Institute for Supply Management® and ISM® are registered trademarks of Institute for Supply Management, Inc.
About Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®)
Institute for Supply Management® (ISM®) is the first and leading not-for-profit professional supply management organization worldwide. Its community of more than 50,000 in more than 100 countries manages about US$1 trillion in corporate and government supply chain procurement annually. Founded in 1915 by practitioners, ISM is committed to advancing the practice of supply management to drive value and competitive advantage for its members, contributing to a prosperous and sustainable world. ISM empowers and leads the profession through the ISM® Report On Business®, its highly regarded certification and training programs, corporate services, events and assessments. The ISM® Report On Business®, Manufacturing, Services, and Hospital, are three of the most reliable economic indicators available, providing guidance to supply management professionals, economists, analysts, and government and business leaders. For more information, please visit: www.ismworld.org.
The full text version of the Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® is posted on ISM®’s website at www.ismrob.org on the first business day* of every month after 10:00 a.m. ET. The one exception is in January when the report is released on the second business day of the month.
The next Manufacturing ISM® Report On Business® featuring March 2025 data will be released at 10:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.
*Unless the New York Stock Exchange is closed.
Contact:
Kristina Cahill
Report On Business® Analyst
ISM®, ROB/Research Manage
Tempe, Arizona
+1 480.455.5910
Email: kcahill@ismworld.org
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/manufacturing-pmi-at-50-3-february-2025-manufacturing-ism-report-on-business-302388950.html
SOURCE Institute for Supply Management
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TCL Solar: Powering Pakistan with advanced solar module innovation
Published
42 minutes agoon
April 19, 2026By
LAHORE, Pakistan, April 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — TCL Solar made a strong impact at this year’s Solar Pakistan exhibition (17th-19th April, at Expo Centre Lahore) by unveiling a range of advanced solar solutions designed to meet the growing demand for low-carbon energy in South Asia and the Middle East.
The new T5 Pro solar module represents a major leap in N-type TOPCon technology, delivering breakthroughs in both conversion efficiency and power output. It is designed to be the new flagship product in the industry, offering enhanced performance and long-term value.
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Six $3 Million Prizes Awarded for Outstanding Discoveries in Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics and Mathematics
Gene Therapies for Inherited Blindness, Sickle Cell Disease and Beta-Thalassemia
Discovery of Key Genetic Cause of ALS and Frontotemporal Dementia
Precision Measurement of Muon’s Magnetic Moment
Advances in Mathematics of Waves and Nonlinear Systems
Special Prize for Pioneer of Theory of Strong Nuclear Force
Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences Awarded to Jean Bennett, Katherine A. High and Albert Maguire; Stuart H. Orkin and Swee Lay Thein; Rosa Rademakers and Bryan Traynor
Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics Awarded to Frank Merle
Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics Awarded to Muon g-2 Collaborations at CERN, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Fermilab
Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics Awarded to David J. Gross
Inaugural Vera Rubin New Frontiers Prize Awarded to Carolina Figueiredo
Six New Horizons Prizes Awarded for Early-Career Achievements in Physics and Mathematics
Three Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prizes Awarded to Women Mathematicians for Early-Career Work
Laureates to be Celebrated Tonight at Breakthrough Prize Ceremony in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES, April 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Breakthrough Prize Foundation today announced the winners of the 2026 Breakthrough Prizes, honoring scientists whose discoveries are significantly driving growth of human knowledge. In the Life Sciences, their work has led to gene therapies for three devastating diseases – inherited blindness, sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, and identified a key genetic cause of two more – ALS and frontotemporal dementia. In Physics and Mathematics, they have constructed theories of the fundamental forces of nature and probed them to mind-blowing precision, and revealed deep truths about the mathematical behavior of waves.
The Breakthrough Prizes – popularly known as the “Oscars® of Science” – were created to celebrate the wonders of our scientific age. Co-founded by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Julia and Yuri Milner, and Anne Wojcicki, the prizes are now in their 14th year.
This year, six Breakthrough Prizes of $3 million each were awarded. In addition, the Foundation recognized 15 early-career physicists and mathematicians, who share six $100,000 New Horizons Prizes. Three women mathematicians recently completing PhDs each receives a $50,000 Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize.
This year’s prize money totals $18.75 million, bringing the amount conferred over the 15 years of the Breakthrough Prize to more than $340 million.
“This year’s laureates show what great science can do — deepen our understanding of the world and lead to discoveries that improve millions of lives,” said Mark Zuckerberg and Dr. Priscilla Chan, founders of Biohub. “We’re proud to recognize their work.”
“The brilliant scientists who win the Breakthrough Prize,” said Yuri Milner, co-founder of Breakthrough Prize Foundation, “Are building a cathedral of knowledge on foundations laid down by the giants who came before them. We owe our civilization – and its future – to them.”
Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
Jean Bennett, Katherine A. High and Albert Maguire share the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. This prize recognizes work that led to the first FDA–approved gene replacement therapy. It has transformed the lives of people born with Leber congenital amaurosis, a rare inherited retinal disease that usually results in total blindness in early adulthood, enabling children who had been going blind to gain their independence, attend regular schools, play outside at night, and in some cases even qualify for driver’s licenses. The therapy replaces the defective RPE65 gene, which produces a malfunctioning version of a protein critical to the visual cycle – the process by which the retina responds to light. The husband-and-wife team of molecular biologist Bennett and ophthalmic surgeon Maguire invented and developed the therapy from first conception to an effective treatment in animal models (including restoring sight to a number of Swedish Briard dogs which they went on to adopt). In 2005, High, a physician-scientist at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) invited Bennett and Maguire to collaborate on a human trial. High’s laboratory and clinical gene therapy expertise proved crucial in the development of the approved drug, including gaining regulatory approval to conduct the initial clinical trials, and in directing the production and characterization of high-quality viral vector preparations used to introduce the replacement gene. The three physician-scientists worked together to design the pivotal trial, including developing and validating a novel clinical endpoint to measure the vector’s clinical effect.
Nearly all eligible Leber congenital amaurosis patients with RPE65 mutations in the United States have now been treated, and many others around the world are now gaining access to the therapy. The benefits have proved durable, with patients treated over a decade ago maintaining stable vision improvements. More broadly, this discovery demonstrated that the technology could work safely and effectively, establishing regulatory pathways and manufacturing approaches that opened the door to gene therapy approvals for a range of genetic diseases. Since their pioneering work, hundreds of trials, including over 100 retinal gene therapy trials have been conducted, with more than half a dozen currently in late-stage clinical testing.
Stuart H. Orkin and Swee Lay Thein share the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Their research transformed the devastating blood disorders sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia from incurable to treatable conditions through gene editing therapy.
In beta-thalassemia the body fails to produce enough healthy hemoglobin; while in sickle cell disease, defective hemoglobin causes red blood cells to become stiff, sticky and sickle-shaped. But people who produce elevated levels of fetal form of hemoglobin as adults, rather than switching entirely to adult hemoglobin, have much milder forms of the diseases. This presented a tantalizing possibility for translational medicine: genetically switching fetal hemoglobin production back on, and so mitigating disease symptoms. Thein mapped the trait of persistent fetal hemoglobin production to chromosome 2, and subsequently identified the gene BCL11A as the key genetic player. Orkin demonstrated that BCL11A functions as the master repressor of fetal hemoglobin, shutting down its production after birth, and that inactivating it restored fetal hemoglobin production in mice and eliminated sickle cell disease symptoms. His laboratory identified a specific DNA enhancer region that controls BCL11A expression itself, but crucially only in red blood cells, providing a precise and safe target for therapeutic intervention without affecting other cells.
The translation of these discoveries into a CRISPR-based gene therapy (Casgevy) that edits this enhancer region in patients’ own blood stem cells resulted in the first CRISPR-based medicine approved for any disease. This work has revolutionized treatment for sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia, providing a potentially curative one-time therapy for conditions affecting millions worldwide.
Rosa Rademakers and Bryan Traynor independently solved a decades-old mystery in neurodegenerative disease by discovering the most common genetic cause of both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the second leading cause of early-onset dementia. Through multi-year, international collaborations, they collected large-scale data from families where both ALS and FTD appeared together; and through painstaking genetic analysis they zeroed in on a key genetic trigger for both diseases. In 2011, their labs simultaneously identified a mutation in the C9orf72 gene. It is an expansion mutation – a repeat of the same six-letter sequence of DNA, occurring hundreds to thousands of times in affected individuals.
The discovery represents a landmark moment in the study of these diseases. This single mutation explains about a third of familial cases of both diseases in European populations, as well as more than five percent of cases in patients with no family history of the diseases. It sheds light on the disease mechanisms, pointing in particular to multiple effects of toxic RNA and proteins in brain cells. It has established ALS and FTD – previously considered two largely separate disorders – on a disease spectrum, sharing risk factors and molecular causes. And perhaps most significantly it has enabled genetic testing for affected families, and opened new pathways for the development of treatments for these currently incurable diseases – including at least two therapies currently undergoing clinical trials. While ALS and FTD remain incurable, thanks to the C9orf72 discovery they are now conditions with plausible molecular causes and promising therapeutic targets.
Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics
Frank Merle’s work has significantly advanced the modern understanding of nonlinear evolution equations – the mathematical descriptions of how waves, fluids, and other dynamic systems change over time. His work has a particular focus on singularities: points where solutions to the equations surge to infinity. Alone and in collaborations, he has solved several fundamental problems, including proving that certain equations long thought to be well-behaved actually “blow up” – become infinite – in finite time.
Working on the soliton resolution conjecture (which predicts that any wave disturbance will eventually decompose into a set of stable, shape-preserving waves), Merle and Carlos Kenig, joined later by Thomas Duyckaerts, developed the powerful channels of energy technique coupled with the concentration compactness method. With Yvan Martel and Pierre Raphael, he revealed how singularities form in the KdV type equation (which describes various wave phenomena from shallow waves to rogue waves). Perhaps most remarkable is his work on the nonlinear version of the famous Schrödinger equation from quantum physics. In early work, he made a complete classification of all the ways this equation’s solutions can blow up. Later he proved, with Pierre Raphael, Igor Rodnianski, and Jérémie Szeftel, that the defocusing version of the equation – long believed to be inherently stable – can in fact blow up in finite time. This highly surprising result exploited an unexpected connection to fluid dynamics: it helped to resolve a major open problem, identifying smooth solutions to the compressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations where the fluid’s density and velocity become infinite – representing a complete breakdown of the fluid description. Throughout his career, Merle’s insights have overturned fundamental assumptions in the field, forged deep connections between mathematics and physics, and opened new avenues toward some of the most celebrated unsolved problems.
Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
Across more than six decades, scientists and engineers from three “muon g-2” collaborations, representing dozens of institutions, have pushed experimental precision ever higher in pursuit of a single, very significant number: the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon. The muon is a heavy, unstable cousin of the electron, and like the electron it can behave like a tiny magnet. The physicists are looking to capture how the muon’s magnetic strength is subtly affected by the “foam” of virtual particles constantly popping in and out of empty space around it. Measuring the muon’s magnetism and comparing it to theoretical predictions allows physicists to test whether any unknown particles or forces are hidden in this foam. In other words, to probe for new physics beyond the Standard Model, our most successful theory of particles and forces.
The CERN collaboration’s pioneering storage ring experiments of the 1960s and 1970s first measured the anomalous magnetic moment with meaningful precision. Then in the 1990s, Brookhaven National Laboratory’s reimagining of the experiment achieved a major improvement in precision. And after the audacious transportation of Brookhaven’s 50-ton, 15-meter-diameter storage ring 3,200 miles by road and barge to Fermilab in 2013, the experiment was systematically refined to achieve a final precision of 127 parts per billion – a mind-boggling 30,000 times more precise than the first g-2 experiment in 1965. The results had shown a tantalizing discrepancy with the value predicted by theory; and in 2023, Fermilab’s new results pushed that discrepancy close to the threshold considered evidence for new physics. Since then, the final, even more precise results, compared to newly evolved theoretical calculations narrowed the gap, but considerable uncertainty remains for the moment. Whatever the final verdict, this experiment represents a remarkable theoretical, experimental and technological endeavor, achieving extraordinary precision in the quest for fundamental understanding.
Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
David J. Gross has been a leading figure in fundamental physics for six decades. In the early 1970s, there was a gap in quantum field theory, our best theory of particles and forces. The theory could not describe or accurately predict the strong nuclear force, which holds the nucleus of the atom together. But in 1973, Gross and his graduate student Frank Wilczek (as well as, independently, David Politzer) solved the mystery. They discovered that the strong force works the opposite way to familiar forces like gravity: it gets weaker as particles approach each other, but stronger as they move apart. This explained why quarks, the particles inside the atomic nucleus, can never escape or be observed in isolation, and it enabled the development of quantum chromodynamics – the theory of the strong force and the final foundation stone of the Standard Model of particle physics.
Gross has gone on to make seminal contributions across multiple areas of theoretical physics. For example, he and his collaborators developed a simplified quantum field theory that helped explain how particles can acquire mass; and developed new theoretical approaches attempting to unify all fundamental forces, including gravity, in a single framework known as heterotic string theory.
Alongside his theoretical work, Gross has a longstanding record of leadership in the physics community, in roles including Director of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, and President of the American Physical Society. He has helped establish physics institutes in India, China, and South America. He directed the Jerusalem Winter School in Theoretical Physics and chaired the Solvay Physics Conferences for the last 25 years. In 2025 he was one of the authors of an ambitious 40-year plan for physics on behalf of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. And over the course of his career, he has been a mentor to numerous brilliant students who became leaders themselves, passing on his vision of physics as a collaborative international endeavor.
Inaugural Vera Rubin New Frontiers Prize
A new physics prize, the Vera Rubin New Frontiers Prize, will be announced during the ceremony, along with the inaugural recipient, Carolina Figueiredo, from Princeton University. One $50,000 prize is awarded this year; from 2027 there will be 3 per year.
The prize is named in tribute to the great astronomer Vera Rubin, who discovered key evidence for dark matter, and in homage to whom NVIDIA’s new chip platform is named. The new prize recognizes women physicists within two years of their PhDs who have already made important contributions to science.
Carolina Figueiredo discovered that three apparently unrelated theories — two governing nuclear particles called gluons and pions, and the third describing particles in a “toy model” that does not describe the existing world — all forbid exactly the same set of particle collisions. This was a big surprise, as the three theories are quite different, with no reason to think they are connected. Figueiredo’s discovery revealed that the common behavior reflects a single underlying geometric structure: curves drawn on surfaces, within a framework now known as surfaceology. Intriguingly, this structure makes no reference to particles moving through space and time; yet it reproduces the predictions of conventional physics far more efficiently than the traditional approach, which tracks each particle’s movement through these dimensions. Figueiredo’s work thus advances – and perhaps brings closer to the real world – a broader program to reformulate the foundations of particle physics in purely geometric terms, with spacetime as an emergent phenomenon arising from a new set of principles.
New Horizons in Physics Prize
Benjamin R. Safdi has made wide-ranging contributions to the search for the axion, a hypothetical particle that would explain a long-standing puzzle about the strong nuclear force, and could account for the mysterious dark matter that makes up 85 percent of the Universe’s mass. He has proposed ingenious new strategies for detecting axion-like particles using observations of astronomical objects, from radio emissions of neutron stars to X-rays from white dwarfs.
Clay Córdova, Thomas Dumitrescu, Shu-Heng Shao, and Yifan Wang have discovered and developed the theory of “generalized symmetries” in quantum field theory. Symmetries have long been among the most powerful tools in physics. The work of these researchers has shown that the Standard Model of particle physics, as well as other quantum field theories, possess previously unrecognised symmetry structures. Their work has opened a broad new field with applications ranging from falsifying theories beyond the Standard Model to simulating fundamental particles on a lattice.
Dillon Brout, J. Colin Hill, Mathew Madhavacheril, Maria Vincenzi, Daniel Scolnic, and W. L. Kimmy Wu have gleaned powerful new results from the two most important tools for measuring the expansion and composition of the Universe: the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation left over from the Big Bang, and light from exploding stars known as Type Ia supernovae. Hill, Madhavacheril, and Wu have pushed analyses of CMB data beyond previous limits, producing the most precise tests to date of the standard cosmological model as well as of gravitational lensing of the CMB – the subtle bending of light from the early Universe by the matter it passes on its way to us. Meanwhile Brout, Scolnic, and Vincenzi built and analysed the largest modern supernova datasets – including Pantheon+, now the most cited supernova analysis in cosmology – delivering tight constraints on dark energy and the rate of expansion of the cosmos.
New Horizons in Mathematics Prize
Otis Chodosh has settled several questions in differential geometry that had been open since the 1970s and 1980s. With Chao Li, he proved a central conjecture in the field concerning a broad class of higher-dimensional spaces known as “aspherical manifolds.” With Christos Mantoulidis, he resolved a key problem in geometric analysis of minimal surfaces – surfaces that locally minimise their area, like soap films.
Vesselin Dimitrov and Yunqing Tang have solved long-standing problems in number theory that had resisted all previous approaches. With Frank Calegari, they proved the “unbounded denominators conjecture,” about a fundamental class of objects known as modular forms, using methods that surprised experts in the field. Most recently, again with Calegari, they proved the irrationality of a number related to a basic infinite series – the first result of its kind since Apéry’s celebrated work forty-five years ago.
Hong Wang has resolved or made advances on a family of notoriously difficult problems in harmonic analysis – a branch of mathematics that studies functions by decomposing them into fundamental components. With Josh Zahl, she proved the Kakeya conjecture in three dimensions, one of the most famous open problems in the field: it concerns how much space is needed to rotate a needle through every possible direction.
Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize
Amanda Hirschi has produced a number of significant papers in symplectic topology, a field studying higher-dimensional surfaces with a geometric structure that generalises the mathematics of classical mechanics. With co-authors, she developed a powerful new framework that leads to major simplifications in the foundations of Gromov-Witten theory. Anna Skorobogatova has made notable contributions in geometric measure theory, which uses techniques from analysis to tackle geometric problems such as finding surfaces of minimal area. In a series of papers with collaborators, she resolved a long-standing question about the structure of singularities of area-minimising surfaces, completing a programme that spanned over sixty years. Mingjia Zhang works on higher-dimensional objects in number theory called Shimura varieties. She provided a way to better understand the geometry of Mantovan’s celebrated “product formula” in number theory.
Citations for 2026 Laureates
2026 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences
Jean Bennett, University of Pennsylvania
Katherine A. High, University of Pennsylvania, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Rockefeller University
Albert Maguire, University of Pennsylvania
For developing a therapy for inherited retinal degeneration that became the first FDA-approved gene therapy for a genetic disease.
Rosa Rademakers, VIB, University of Antwerp, and Mayo Clinic
Bryan Traynor, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health
For the discovery of the most common genetic cause of ALS and frontotemporal dementia which charted the path for new mechanistic studies of these diseases.
Stuart H. Orkin, Boston Children’s Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Swee Lay Thein, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health
For elucidating the mechanism driving the switch from fetal to adult hemoglobin and validating it as a therapeutic target for sickle-cell disease and beta-thalassemia.
2026 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics
Frank Merle, CY Cergy Paris Université and Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques
For breakthroughs in nonlinear evolution equations, with regards to their stability, singularity formation, or resolution into solitons.
2026 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
The Muon g-2 Collaborations at CERN, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Fermilab
For multi-decade, groundbreaking contributions to the measurement of the muon’s anomalous magnetic moment, pushing the boundaries of experimental precision and igniting a new era in the quest for physics beyond the Standard Model.
2026 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics
David J. Gross, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara
For a lifetime of groundbreaking contributions to theoretical physics, from the strong force to string theory, and for tireless advocacy for basic science worldwide.
2026 Vera Rubin New Frontiers Prize
Carolina Figueiredo, Princeton University
For contributions to the geometric structure of scattering amplitudes, revealing hidden relations among quantum field theories.
2026 Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prize
Amanda Hirschi, IMJ-PRG, Sorbonne Université
For contributions to symplectic topology.
Anna Skorobogatova, Clay Research Fellow and ETH Zürich
For contributions to geometric measure theory.
Mingjia Zhang, Princeton University and Institute for Advanced Study
For contributions to the theory of Shimura varieties.
2026 New Horizons in Mathematics Prize
Otis Chodosh, Stanford University
For contributions to differential geometry and the calculus of variations, including work on minimal surfaces and manifolds with positive scalar curvature.
Hong Wang, Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques and New York University
For work in harmonic analysis, partial differential equations, and geometric measure theory, including the local smoothing conjecture, Furstenberg set conjecture, and the Kakeya conjecture.
Vesselin Dimitrov, Caltech
Yunqing Tang, University of California, Berkeley
For work in Diophantine geometry, including the proof of the Atkin-Swinnerton-Dyer unbounded denominators conjecture and new irrationality results for special values of Dirichlet L-series (both joint with Frank Calegari).
2026 New Horizons in Physics Prize
Benjamin R. Safdi, University of California, Berkeley
For proposing new ways to seek axion-like particles with laboratory experiments and astronomical observations.
Clay Córdova, University of Chicago
Thomas Dumitrescu, Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics, UCLA
Shu-Heng Shao, MIT
Yifan Wang, New York University
For generalizing the notion of symmetry in various ways, and for exploring the consequences of these generalized symmetries, in quantum field theory, particle physics, condensed matter physics, string theory, and quantum information theory.
Dillon Brout, Boston University
J. Colin Hill, Columbia University
Mathew Madhavacheril, University of Pennsylvania
Maria Vincenzi, University of Oxford
Daniel Scolnic, Duke University
W. L. Kimmy Wu, Caltech
For advances in cosmic microwave background and supernovae cosmology.
Videos and Photos
Assets, including headshots of this year’s winners, can be downloaded for media use here.
Images and select video from the 2026 Breakthrough Prize Gala — red carpet and ceremony — can be downloaded for media use here.
The show will premiere on YouTube on Sunday, April 26th at 3PM Eastern / 12PM Pacific.
For the 14th year, the Breakthrough Prize, renowned as the “Oscars® of Science,” recognizes the world’s top scientists. Each prize is $3 million and presented in the fields of Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics and Mathematics. In addition, up to three New Horizons in Physics Prizes, up to three New Horizons in Mathematics Prizes and up to three Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prizes are given out to early-career researchers each year. Laureates attend a gala award ceremony designed to celebrate their achievements and inspire the next generation of scientists.
The Breakthrough Prizes were founded by Sergey Brin, Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg, Julia and Yuri Milner, and Anne Wojcicki and have been sponsored by foundations established by them. Selection Committees composed of previous Breakthrough Prize laureates in each field choose the winners. Information on the Breakthrough Prize is available at breakthroughprize.org.
SOURCE Breakthrough Prize
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