Original title: China’s Private Factory Gauge Unexpectedly Returns to Growth
China’s manufacturing activity unexpectedly moved back into expansion territory in August, according to a private survey, though questions will persist about the strength of an economy pressured by tariffs and weak consumer confidence. The RatingDog China General Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 50.5 from 49.5 in July, according to a statement released on Monday, above the 50 mark that separates contraction from growth. That exceeded every forecast in a Bloomberg survey of analysts, whose median estimate was 49.8.