China August Manufacturing PMI 49.1 (expected 49.5), Services 50.3 (expected 50.0)

August 2024 official Chinese PMIs from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS):

Composite is 50.1

August Manufacturing PMI 49.1

• expected 49.5, prior49.4

Services 50.3

• expected 50.0, prior 50.2

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The Chinese economy has been showing, and continues to show, a patchy and uneven recovery. Key trouble spots include:

• an uncertain property sector outlook, the sector is mired in debt
• subdued consumer confidence and demand
• manufacturing overcapacity in some sectors
• still below target underlying inflation (impacting this are the above points on weak domestic demand and supply overcapacity)
• on the horizon are potentially higher tariffs on Chinese exports

Authorities have been lobbing targetted support at the economy, in a piecemeal fashion. There is still plenty of work to do.

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China has two primary Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) surveys – the official PMI released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Caixin China PMI published by the media company Caixin and research firm Markit / S&P Global.

• The official PMI survey covers large and state-owned companies, while the Caixin PMI survey covers small and medium-sized enterprises. As a result, the Caixin PMI is considered to be a more reliable indicator of the performance of China’s private sector.
• Another difference between the two surveys is their methodology. The Caixin PMI survey uses a broader sample of companies than the official survey.
• Despite these differences, the two surveys often provide similar readings on China’s manufacturing sector.
• The Caixin manufacturing PMI will follow on Monday, services on Wednesday