ISM Manufacturing survey rises to 54.8% in April

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
The U.S. manufacturing sector expanded at a slightly faster pace in April, according to the closely followed ISM index
The index climbed to 54.8% last month from 53.4% in March, the Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday
Any reading over 50 indicates that more manufacturers are expanding instead of shrinking
Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had forecast the index to dip to 53.3%
The new-orders index rose to 58.2% from 54.5% in March, while the employment index edged up to 57.3% from 56.1%