ISM manufacturing index hits 55.5 in Dec; Construction spending down 0.3% in Nov

Analysts polled by Reuters forecast the Institute for Supply Management's manufacturing index for December to fall to 57.6 from 58.7 in November. A figure above 50 indicates expansion in the manufacturing sector.. In a separate report, U.S. construction spending was expected to rise 0.3 percent in November, according to a Thomson Reuters consensus estimate.