U.S. manufacturing activity grew at a slower pace in July for the second straight month as raw material shortages persisted, though there are signs of some easing in supply-chain bottlenecks. 

The survey from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) on Monday showed a measure of prices paid by manufactures fell by the most in 16 months, while the supplier deliveries index retreated further from a 47-year high touched in May. 

Timothy Fiore, chair of ISM's manufacturing business survey committee, noted that "supply and demand dynamics appear to be moving closer to equilibrium for the first time in many months." Part of that could be because spending is rotating back to services from goods. 

"Manufacturing is slowing from unsustainable boom to sustainable strength," said Chris Low, chief economist at FHN Financial in New York. 

"Moderation in supplier deliveries and prices paid indicate bottlenecks are alleviating, but both remain high enough to indicate supply-side problems persist. Still, from a markets and policy perspective, progress is important." 

The ISM's index of national factory activity fell to 59.5 last month, the lowest reading since January, from 60.6 in June. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in manufacturing, which accounts for 11.9 percent of the U.S. economy. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast the index would be little changed at 60.9.

Seventeen out of 18 manufacturing industries reported growth in July, including machinery as well as computer and electronic products. Only textile mills reported a decline. 

The ISM survey's measure of prices paid by manufacturers fell to a reading of 85.7 last month from a record 92.1 in June, reflecting an easing in commodity prices. The drop – the largest pullback in the index since March 2020 – supports Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's contention that inflation will moderate as supply constraints abate. 

The survey's measure of supplier deliveries fell to 72.5 from a reading of 75.1 in June. The index vaulted to 78.8 in May, which was the highest reading since April 1974. A reading above 50 indicates slower deliveries. 

Demand shifted to goods from services during the COVID-19 pandemic as millions of Americans were cooped up at home, straining the supply chain. Roughly half of the population has been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, allowing people to travel, frequent restaurants, visit casinos and attend sporting events among services-related activities that were curbed early in the pandemic. 

Government data last week showed spending on services accelerated sharply in the second quarter, helping to lift the level of gross domestic product above its peak in the fourth quarter of 2019. 

U.S. stocks were trading higher, with the S&P 500 index near a record high as the U.S. Congress pushed ahead with a $1 trillion infrastructure bill. 

The dollar fell against a basket of currencies. U.S. Treasury prices rose.