COLUMBIA, Md., Dec. 31, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via PRWEB - While other economic indicators remained strong, the December report of the Credit Managers' Index (CMI) from the National Association of Credit Management (NACM) shows several categories with lows not seen since March 2014. Overall, the combined numbers for manufacturing and service sectors fell to 54.9, compared with 55.8 in November. "It would have been nice to end the year on a high note," said Chris Kuehl, PhD, NACM economist. Although durable goods orders were robust, employment numbers solid and retail sales better than many had expected, CMI data ended the year by falling over two consecutive months to its worst numbers since the start of 2014. "That is a real worry," Kuehl said.
Although the combined Index of Favorable Factors slipped from 61.2 to 60.5--the lowest result since March--the combined data is still comfortably high. The Sales category dropped from 62.7 to 61.4--another low as compared with previous months. New Credit Applications improved, however, as it shifted from 58.1 to 59.2. Such a shift can serve as a mixed message, given there was a slight increase in the number of credit applications that were rejected. During times of stress, companies that are not credit worthy may attempt to get some credit lifelines, Kuehl said. The reading for Dollar Collections saw a significant drop, from 60.3 to 56.6--another low not seen since March. Amount of Credit Extended rose a bit from 63.7 to 64.6, which suggests that there are bigger credit offerings being made to some of the larger companies. The good news is that most of the readings were over 60 and that continues to be a positive development.
Most of the CMI's bad news stems from the Index of Unfavorable Factors, helping to make 2015 a mystery to predict. The combined index dropped from 52.2 to 51.1, toward the low side of that reading over the course of the past year and close to contraction levels (below 50). Rejections of Credit Applications dropped, but only slightly from 51.7 to 51.5. Bigger credit offerings to a select few clients and more applications from less than creditworthy companies seem to be the pattern of late. Accounts Placed for Collection also slipped a little from 51.8 to 51.1. The bigger issue, however, is that several readings are so close to the breakpoint between contraction and expansion. The category of Disputes took fell to 48.5, inside the contraction zone and at its lowest point in well over two years. This signals considerable tension between those that issue credit and those that receive it. Similarly, Dollar Amount Beyond Terms moved from 52.3 to 48.7--its lowest point since September. Dollar Amount of Customer Deductions also dropped from 49.7 to 48.5. "That is a trend that nobody wants to see extended," Kuehl said. And Filings for Bankruptcies actually improved from 56.5 to 58.5. "That is a decent sign of some progress as it suggests that the issues that have been affecting the creditors have not yet reached the point that companies are crashing and burning," he noted.
The data reflect two major problems: The reason for the weak numbers is not clear, and data for the unfavorable categories indicates weakness in company financials, Kuehl said. Given that some of the other national data has been improving, it begs the question: why isn't credit data pointing in the same direction? "At first blush, it appears that there have been stressors all year and that some companies have been able to cope better than others," Kuehl said. "There were companies that were weak to begin with, and there has not been enough growth to pull these companies out of it."
For a full breakdown of the manufacturing and service sector data and graphics, view the complete December 2014 report at http://web.nacm.org/CMI/PDF/CMIcurrent.pdf. CMI archives may also be viewed on NACM's website at http://web.nacm.org/cmi/cmi.asp.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CREDIT MANAGEMENT
NACM, headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, supports more than 15,000 business credit and financial professionals worldwide with premier industry services, tools and information. NACM and its network of affiliated associations are the leading resource for credit and financial management information, education, products and services designed to improve the management of business credit and accounts receivable. NACM's collective voice has influenced federal legislative policy results concerning commercial business and trade credit to our nation's policy makers for more than 100 years, and continues to play an active part in legislative issues pertaining to business credit and corporate bankruptcy. NACM's annual Credit Congress & Exposition conference is the largest gathering of credit professionals in the world.
Source: National Association of Credit Management
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