U.S. manufacturing growth warming up again?

CNBC aired a Reuters report today that indicated U.S. manufacturing, which helped fuel economic recovery before being weakened by the double whammy of Superstorm Sandy and fiscal cliff anxiety, is showing signs of rebounding. Our January would bear out that account.

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) also reported that national factory activity in December beat analysts' predictions, rising to 53.1 from 50.2. That was the highest level since last April. A reading above 50 percent indicates that the manufacturing economy is generally expanding.

In fact, the institute's Manufacturing ISM Report On Business seemed to be good for Fabricated Metal Products -- the business of Marlin Steel -- across the board.

• Of 18 manufacturing industries, 13 reported growth in January in the following order: Plastics & Rubber Products; Textile Mills; Furniture & Related Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; Transportation Equipment; Petroleum & Coal Products; Machinery; Primary Metals; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. The four industries reporting contraction in January were: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Wood Products; and Chemical Products.

• Ten industries reported growth in new orders in January (in order): Textile Mills; Printing & Related Support Activities; Furniture & Related Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Fabricated Metal Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Machinery; Transportation Equipment; and Primary Metals. The five industries reporting a decrease in new orders during January were: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Wood Products; Chemical Products; Computer & Electronic Products; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products.

• Nine industries reported growth in production in January: Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Textile Mills; Plastics & Rubber Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Furniture & Related Products; Primary Metals; and Transportation Equipment. The six industries reporting a decrease in production in January — listed in order — were: Printing & Related Support Activities; Petroleum & Coal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Chemical Products; and Nonmetallic Mineral Products.

• Nine reported growth in employment: Petroleum & Coal Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Fabricated Metal Products; Furniture & Related Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; and Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products. The five industries reporting a decrease in employment in January were: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Chemical Products; Machinery; and Wood Products.

• Four industries reported faster supplier deliveries in January: Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Fabricated Metal Products; Computer & Electronic Products; and Primary Metals. Seven industries reported slower supplier deliveries in January: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Chemical Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Furniture & Related Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Transportation Equipment. Seven others reported no change in supplier deliveries in January compared to December.

• Seven industries reported a decrease in inventories in January: Petroleum & Coal Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Chemical Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Nonmetallic Mineral Products; and Apparel, Leather & Allied Products. Seven reported higher inventories: Plastics & Rubber Products; Furniture & Related Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Transportation Equipment; Machinery; and Primary Metals.

• Nine industries reported customers' inventories too low during January: Furniture & Related Products; Transportation Equipment; Paper Products; Primary Metals; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Machinery; and Apparel, Leather & Allied Products. Four reported customer inventories as too high during January: Petroleum & Coal Products; Plastics & Rubber Products; Chemical Products; and Computer & Electronic Products.

• Ten reported paying increased prices during January: Plastics & Rubber Products; Wood Products; Petroleum & Coal Products; Chemical Products; Paper Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Furniture & Related Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Transportation Equipment; and Fabricated Metal Products. The two industries reporting paying lower prices during January are: Machinery; and Primary Metals. Six industries reported no change in prices paid in January compared to December.

• Eight reported increased order backlogs in January: Petroleum & Coal Products; Primary Metals; Furniture & Related Products; Fabricated Metal Products; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Paper Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Machinery. Seven reported decreases in order backlogs: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Chemical Products; Computer & Electronic Products; Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Wood Products; Miscellaneous Manufacturing; and Transportation Equipment.

• Four reported growth in new export orders: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Textile Mills; Fabricated Metal Products; and Furniture & Related Products. Six reported a decrease in new export orders: Miscellaneous Manufacturing; Primary Metals; Chemical Products; Transportation Equipment; Machinery; and Computer & Electronic Products. Eight industries reported no change in new exports for the month of January when compared to December.

• Six industries reported growth in imports in January: Apparel, Leather & Allied Products; Printing & Related Support Activities; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; Furniture & Related Products; Fabricated Metal Products; and Miscellaneous Manufacturing. Seven reported a decrease in imports: Nonmetallic Mineral Products; Primary Metals; Electrical Equipment, Appliances & Components; Transportation Equipment; Computer & Electronic Products; Chemical Products; and Machinery.