China PMI Shows a Slowdown in Manufacturing

China’s manufacturing activity slowed to a seven-month low in February, a private survey showed on Thursday, once again stirring concerns over the health of the world’s second-largest economy.

The flash Markit/HSBC Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 48.3 from a final reading of 49.5 in January.
This is the second straight month the PMI has fallen below 50, which signals contraction.
“Economic activity has slowed in early 2014. Tighter credit in the fourth quarter of 2013 has made inventories more difficult to finance, prompting manufacturers to destock in February,” said Bill Adams, senior international economist with financial services firm PNC.
The reaction in markets was swift; the Australia dollar fell half a U.S. cent to $0.8957, from $0.9004 before the data, while Aussie stocks turned negative. Australia is particularly sensitive to data from China, its top export market.

via CNBC

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Alfonso Esparza

Alfonso Esparza

Senior Currency Analyst at Market Pulse
Alfonso Esparza specializes in macro forex strategies for North American and major currency pairs. Upon joining OANDA in 2007, Alfonso Esparza established the MarketPulseFX blog and he has since written extensively about central banks and global economic and political trends. Alfonso has also worked as a professional currency trader focused on North America and emerging markets. He has been published by The MarketWatch, Reuters, the Wall Street Journal and The Globe and Mail, and he also appears regularly as a guest commentator on networks including Bloomberg and BNN. He holds a finance degree from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM) and an MBA with a specialization on financial engineering and marketing from the University of Toronto.
Alfonso Esparza