The numbers: Business in the U.S. contracted in February for the first time in four years owing to disruptions caused by the coronavirus and growing angst over the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, a survey of the economy has found.
The forecasting firm IHS Markit said its indexes for manufacturers and service-oriented firms both declined this month, according to a “flash” or preliminary reading. And the services index turned negative for the first time since 2015.
