China's manufacturing continues to sputter

Reuters Activity levels across China’s manufacturing sector contracted last month for the first time since February, albeit by the smallest of margins. The latest manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), released by China National Bureau of Statistics, came in at 49.9, fractionally below the 50.0 level expected by economists. It was the lowest level seen since February, and below the 50.0 level seen in June. The index measures changes in activity levels from one month to the next. Any...