China Factory Activity Returns to Growth
Wait for a while... The official manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 50.1 in September from 49.8 in August. A reading above 50 generally indicates expansion, while a reading below 50 indicates contraction. Production Shows Stronger Momentum The improvement was supported by stronger factory production. China’s official manufacturing survey showed the production sub-index rising to 51.7, while the new-orders index reached 50.5. However, export orders remained weaker, suggesting that the recovery is not uniform across all parts of the manufacturing sector. A separate private survey also showed stronger activity. The RatingDog manufacturing PMI increased to 52.1 from 51.5, indicating a stronger expansion in the private-sector survey. Why China’s Factory Data Matters China is one of the world’s largest manufacturing and trading economies. Changes in Chinese factory activity can affect global supply chains, commodity demand, shipping,...