NEMA EBCI panel members, all of whom responded to the November survey after the election results were known, pushed the current conditions index further into positive territory, moving it from 55.6 in October to 57.9 this month. While a relatively small share of our panel, 11 percent, rated conditions worse this month, it marks an increase over the 6 percent responding similarly in October. The share of respondents that noted unchanged conditions dropped 15 points, sliding from 78 percent last month to 63 in November. Twenty-six percent of survey respondents reported better conditions, compared to 17 percent in October.

The survey’s measure of the intensity of change in electroindustry business conditions pushed ahead to a slightly more positive rating, as the mean rating edged up to +0.3 this month compared to +0.2 in October. Panelists are asked to report intensity of change on a scale ranging from –5 (deteriorated significantly) through 0 (unchanged) to +5 (improved significantly).

At 73.7, this month’s future conditions index eclipsed October’s reading of 66.7. Although the share of respondents expecting unchanged conditions dropped from 44 percent in October to 21 percent now, those anticipating worse conditions ticked up slightly from 11 percent last month to 16 percent in November. The greatest mover among future conditions components was the share of panel members expecting better conditions. That number jumped 19 points from 44 percent in October to 63 percent this month.

Click here for the complete November 2016 report.