Weakness persists at US factories as global sales stall

Washington

AMERICAN manufacturing remained stuck in neutral in October as factories struggled with dwindling overseas demand and well-stocked customers at home.

The Institute for Supply Management's index was little changed at 50.1, the weakest since May 2013, after 50.2 in September, a report from the Tempe, Arizona-based group showed on Monday. A reading of 50 is the dividing line between expansion and contraction.

Soft global sales, a strong dollar that's made US goods more expensive overseas, record first-half inventory growth and energy sector woes have hounded the nation's producers. At the same time, increased auto output …