Against expectations, Chinese manufacturing grew in July: the official PMI index rose to 50,3 points, from 50,1 in June. Analysts had forecast a drop to 49,9.
The expansionary movement is more accentuated in the case of larger companies, which derive greater support from government stimulus measures.
However, Markit confirms the preliminary figure for the HSBC index, which fell to 47,7 points in July (the lowest for almost a year) from 48,2 points in June. The variance is explained by the fact that the HSBC index is biased towards companies in "coastal" areas.
