China factory activity slows as May PMI hits 50 (opens in new tab)

China’s official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index fell to 50.0 in May from 50.3 in April, putting factory activity at the threshold between expansion and contraction after two months of growth, National Bureau of Statistics data showed. The new orders sub-index dropped to 49.9 from 50.6, production eased to 51.2 from 51.5, and raw material stockpiles fell to 48.6 from 49.3. A private survey showed faster expansion than the official gauge but also slowed: the RatingDog China General Ma...