Early China data shows diverging sentiment, stable outlook

Beijing

THE earliest gauges of how China's economy has fared this month show diverging sentiment among businesses, though the outlook is underpinned by expectations that the expansion will remain broadly steady.

Manufacturing activity tracked by satellites strengthened and confidence at smaller companies improved, according to private indicators for August. The outlook wasn't as strong in gauges of sales managers and steel mills, which show conditions moderated.

The readings follow official releases for July that showed an across-the-board cooling in fa…