Consumer inflation stays flat in July

China’s consumer price index rose 2.7% in July from a year earlier, Bloomberg reported, citing official data. The reading was slightly below the 2.8% median estimate expected in a market survey and unchanged from a month earlier. The producer price index fell to 2.3% after a 2.7% drop the previous month, marking the 17th monthly decline in factory gate prices. Economists said policymakers may have more room for stimulus measures to boost growth as inflation remains below the 3.5% annual target set for this year.