China's factory output growth quickens in August, retail sales slow

BEIJING: China’s industrial output grew 5.2% from a year earlier in August, quickening from a 4.5% increase in July, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Tuesday. The reading exceeded expectations for a 4.8% rise in a Reuters poll of 42 analysts. Retail sales, a gauge of consumer activity, rose 0.4%, slowing from a 0.6% gain in July. Analysts had expected a 0.8% rise. Fixed-asset investment declined 7.2% in the first eight months, matching forecast and compared with a 6.7% drop through July.