A Chinese manufacturing index fell more than estimated in January to a six-month low, a private survey showed.
The preliminary reading of 49.6 for a Purchasing Managers’ Index released Thursday by HSBC Holdings Plc and Markit Economics compares with a final figure of 50.5 in December and a 50.3 median estimate of 19 analysts in a Bloomberg News survey. A number above 50 indicates expansion.
The report gives one of the first indications of the economy’s performance in 2014 after data earlier this week showed gains in factory output eased last month, sapping momentum as a credit clampdown adds pressure on the economy.
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