The Institute for Supply Management 's April index was flat at a near two-year low of 51.5, defying forecasts for an uptick to 52. 2015 had a rocky start: a soaring dollar sank exports, a West Coast ports work stoppage snarled supply chains, and plunging oil prices dented energy firms' capital budgets. The bad news hit both factories and the overall economy ; it eked out an 0.2% annualized gain in the first quarter.