The sudden halt in September of the manufacturing flash Markit/Caixin purchasing managers index, an early estimate of sector activity released ahead of the finalized figure, may have been due to government pressure, The New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources. The flash PMI – which typically arrived a few days ahead of both the official PMI from the National Bureau of Statistics and Caixin’s own gauge – often affected markets, leading the statistics bureau to object to the early release. The gauge’s end came amid other moves clamping down on independent financial news and analysis in China as the country deals with an economic slowdown.
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