Australia’s S&P Global Flash Composite PMI for September 2026 was revised up to 51.3 from the preliminary estimate of 50.8, though it remained below August’s final reading of 52.7 and was the lowest level since June. Even so, it signaled a fourth consecutive month of expansion in private‑sector activity. The services sector continued to grow, albeit at its slowest pace in three months, while the contraction in manufacturing output intensified amid a renewed decline in new goods orders.
Stronger inflows of new business in services kept overall new orders in expansion territory, but total export demand fell, reflecting weaker manufacturing export orders. Employment returned to growth in September.
On the price front, output cost inflation quickened. Input and output cost pressures strengthened in the services sector but eased in manufacturing, although they remained high by historical standards. Finally, business confidence deteriorated, slipping to a three‑month low.