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China May retail sales beat expectations, but industrial output and fixed asset investment missed
China’s retail sales beat expectations in May, climbing 3.7% compared with a year ago, beating expectations of a 3% rise from a Reuters poll of economists. However, other economic metrics, such as industrial output and fixed asset investment, missed Reuters forecasts. Industrial output grew by 5.6% year-on-year, compared to the 6% increase expected, while fixed asset investment rose 4% compared to last May, just shy of the 4.2% forecast by the Reuters poll. The country’s National Bureau of Statistics elaborated that the total retail sales of consumer goods reached 3.92 trillion yuan ($540.32 billion), with sales ... (full story)