An index monitoring manufacturing activity in China showed contraction in January, the latest PMI from HSBC and Markit Economics revealed on Thursday, coming in with a score of 49.5.
That was even worse than the flash estimate from earlier this month that indicated a score of 49.6, and it was down sharply from 50.5 in December.
A score above 50 signals expansion in a sector, while a score below 50 means contraction.
The contraction in the sector was the first in six months, due primarily to weakness in output and new business.
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April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.