[the48thronin]

China’s official Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 50.9 in August, up from July’s 50.7, and was roughly in line with expectations for a reading of 51, according to surveys reported by Reuters and Bloomberg News.

The result marked the first increase in activity since March.

Meanwhile, a rival survey published by HSBC and U.K. group Markit showed headline activity at 49.9 in August, up from July’s 49.3, and slightly higher than a preliminary “flash” reading of 49.8 issued in August.

Manufacturing activity nudged up at a marginal pace during August, ending a two-month decline for the HSBC edition.

“This set of PMI data is slightly better than expected, but does not change the main trend of slowing investment and weakening exports,” wrote Credit Suisse analyst Dong Tao in a note following the release of the manufacturing surveys.

In spite of the debt problems in the U.S. and Europe recently, China’s economy had held up well, Tao said, noting that chances of a big downturn there now appeared unlikely.

Meanwhile, Capital Economics said given all the global uncertainty investors could find reassurance from the fact that China’s PMIs have “at least stopped falling.”

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/china-manufacturing-gauges-point-to-pickup-2011-09-01?siteid=rss&rss=1

wow a headline for "Marginal improvment" at the time manufacturing should be involved in the "Christmas Rush" LOL

[the48thronin]

Read the last quoted paraghraph, or better yet the entire article...LOL

Aug. 31 (Bloomberg) -- The container-shipping industry is contending with the longest stretch of near-zero rates in its half-century history on the Asia-to-Europe route, as a capacity glut combines with the slowest growth in trade since 2009.

Commerce on the world’s second-busiest container route rose 4.2 percent in the second quarter, the weakest since the end of 2009, Woking, England-based Container Trade Statistics Ltd. estimates. Rates excluding fuel surcharges were “practically” zero in July and little changed this month, the worst run ever, said Menno Sanderse, an analyst at Morgan Stanley in London.

While growth in container volumes has slowed for four consecutive quarters, it’s still nowhere near the 22 percent contractions seen in the first half of 2009. Europe normally imports more goods this quarter as shops begin stockpiling for the December holidays. That gain may be curbed this year as retailers anticipate mounting concern about economies and jobs will hurt consumer spending.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-08-31/containers-slump-to-50-year-low-as-sales-slow-freight-markets.html