The growth of the large Chinese service sector stabilised in August. This was reflected in the purchasing manager index of market researchers Caixin and Markit.
The barometer reached a level of 54.0 compared to 54.1 a month earlier. A stand of 50 or more indicates growth, below it indicates shrinkage. The average level of economists was 53.9.
There was also a stabilisation in Japan, but there was again a contraction in activity in the sector. Market Research Agency Jibun reported that the Purchasing Manager Index in August was 45.0 based on a final estimate.