AI Data Insight
The flash estimate of the US Markit Services PMI for Q3 2026 climbed to 53.6 from the previous 51.3, significantly outperforming market expectations and hitting an eight-month high. This expansion was primarily driven by one-off consumption booms such as the World Cup and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US, while corporate hiring also rebounded. However, Middle East geopolitics have led to supply chain delays, pushing input cost inflation to a 14-month high, which could become a potential variable for the Federal Reserve's subsequent monetary policy.