Today we have had data for the official PMIs. March manufacturing PMI comes in at 50.4
- expected 50.3, prior 50.8
Services 51.2
- expected 52.2, prior 53.0
Composite 51.7, dragged down by slower growth in both manufacturing and services
- prior 52.7
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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 in just 15 minutes time - stay tuned!
