China Services Pmi

The Caixin China General Services PMI jumped to 53.4 in September 2021 from 46.7 in the prior month, moving away from the lowest level seen since the height of the pandemic last year. Both new orders and employment bounced back to the expansionary territory, as a major COVID-19 outbreak in the eastern province of Jiangsu eased. At the same time, outstanding business continued to increase, but at a slower pace. Meanwhile, new export sales shrank again, with the sub-index hitting its lowest in seven months due to the surging pandemic overseas. On the cost front, input prices rose for the 15th straight month and increased at a faster pace, on rising labor, freight, and raw material costs. Meantime, prices charged went up after falling in August. Looking forward, sentiment remained optimistic, with the gauge of business expectations rising further into positive territory, though remaining below its long-term average.