China April HSBC PMI Shows Biggest Drop in Factory Activity in a Year
Posted May 04, 2015
(International Business Times)
China’s factories suffered their fastest drop in activity in a year in April as new orders shrank, a private business survey showed on Monday, hardening the case for fresh policy stimulus to halt a slowdown in the world’s second-largest economy.
The HSBC/Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 48.9 in April – the lowest level since April 2014 - from 49.6 in March, as demand faltered and deflationary pressures persisted. The number was weaker than a preliminary reading of 49.2, and below the 50-point level that separates growth from contraction compared with the previous month.
The overall new orders sub-index dipped to 48.7 in April, the sharpest contraction in a year, although new export orders showed tentative signs of improvement. Click here to read more.
