September improves broker earnings

September commissions helped improve first three-quarter numbers for China's battered brokers, collectively earning RMB 2.53 billion, nearly double August's RMB 1.31 billion. According to state media reports, the recovery helped push nine-month earnings up 36.7%, to RMB 23.19 billion from RMB 16.96 billion for the first nine months of 2003. Commissions on A-share sales jumped nearly 48%, to RMB 20.14 billion, for the whole period, disguising a sharp slowdown as share prices slumped for months.