The national average on-highway diesel fuel price fell for the 8th straight week, to $1.48 today from a peak of $1.77 on March 10, the Energy Information Administration reported this afternoon. The national average gasoline price also continued its sharp fall, to $1.56 today from a peak of $1.77 on March 17.
The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported today that the ISM nonmanufacturing business activity index rose in April to 50.7, indicating expansion, after dipping to 47.9 in March. Construction was listed among the industries reporting: faster supplier deliveries than before, highest rates of inventory decrease, but also highest rates of feeling inventories were too high, growth in backlog of orders, and increased use of imports.