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☆ Big Tobacco turns to rooibos tea to counter upcoming ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Emma Rumney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Tobacco companies have yet to publish any research showing the health implications of rooibos or other zero-tobacco sticks, Simonavicius added. PMI (PM.N) CEO Jacek Olczak told shareholders that its zero-tobacco sticks could avoid the regulatory scrutiny that tobacco products face. BAT's zero-tobacco sticks are not subject to current EU tobacco rules, the company told Reuters. That means it can sell rooibos sticks in flavours like peppermint and tropical fruit even after a ban on flavoured heated tobacco products is implemented across the bloc later this month. Across the European Union, heated tobacco products must be taxed at a minimum of 20% of the retail price, though national governments can go higher.

Persons: Erikas Simonavicius, Simonavicius, Philip Morris, Jacek Olczak, Jefferies, Owen Bennett, Bennett, Phil Gorham, Gorham, Fabienne, Morningstar's Gorham, Shabab, Emma Rumney, Matt Scuffham, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: Big Tobacco, British American Tobacco, Union, Tobacco, BAT, Reuters, King's College, King's College London . Tobacco, Philip Morris International, PMI, Rivals Imperial Brands, Japan Tobacco International, Morningstar, EU, Dunhill, Lucky, European Union, University College London . Tobacco, Thomson Locations: Cape, Germany, Greece, King's College London

REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSummary Industrial output down 0.2% in Aug vs down 0.1% forecastEconomists expect further contraction in coming monthsBERLIN, Oct 9 (Reuters) - German industrial output shrank in August for the fourth consecutive month, the federal statistics office said on Monday, an indication that the sector remains under serious pressure, stoking recession fears. Industrial production fell slightly more than expected in August by 0.2% compared to the previous month. The further drop in German industrial production in August was better than it looked as it was driven by volatile components, said Franziska Palmas, senior Europe economist at Capital Economics. However, she continued to expect high interest rates and falling demand to lead to a further contraction in German industrial output in the coming months. "Thin order books despite last week's increase, and high inventories all indicate that German industrial production will continue moving sideways rather than gaining momentum anytime soon," ING's global head of macro Carsten Brzeski said.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Franziska Palmas, Destatis, Carsten Brzeski, Brzeski, Friederike Heine, Maria Martinez, Ozan Ergenay, Gerry Doyle, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: ThyssenKrupp, Duisburg, Germany, BERLIN, Europe, Palmas

REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 5 (Reuters) - German industrial orders rose more than expected in August due to a strong increase in the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products sector, data showed On Friday. Orders rose by 3.9% on the previous month on a seasonally and calendar adjusted basis, the federal statistics office said. The statistics office revised the July drop to 11.3% compared with June, from a provisional figure of -11.7%. In August, an increase of 37.9% on the month in the manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products drove the expansion in industrial orders. Foreign orders were up 3.9% on the month and domestic orders rose by 4.0%, the data showed.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Rachel More, Maria Martinez, Kirsti Knolle, Christina Fincher Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Duisburg, Germany

☆ House-building slump brings biggest UK construction fall since 2020
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Partly finished houses are seen on a new housing development under construction in Liverpool, Britain June 2, 2023. The all-sector PMI - which includes services, manufacturing and construction - edged down to 48.2 in September, its lowest since January 2021. The house-building index dropped to 38.1 from 40.7 - its lowest since April 2009, apart from two months in 2020. Commercial construction also fell as clients grew more concerned about the economic outlook and civil engineering saw the steepest decline in over a year. Alongside the weaker activity, the survey showed the biggest rise in subcontractors' availability in 14 years and more stable input costs after steep rises between mid 2020 and mid 2023.

Persons: Phil Noble, Tim Moore, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, David Milliken, Toby Chopra Organizations: REUTERS, P, Reuters, PMI, P Global Market Intelligence, Nationwide, Bank of, Thomson Locations: Liverpool, Britain, August's, Bank of England, London, Manchester, Birmingham

☆ German defense contractor postpones IPO on eve of debut
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

German defense contractor Renk on late Wednesday announced it would indefinitely postpone its initial public offering on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange scheduled for the following morning. "In the past days, the market environment has clouded noticeably," the company said in a statement, providing no further details. Shares were set to be offered in a price range between 15 euros ($15.77) and 18 euros, with a total placement volume between 405 million and 486 million euros. It reported an increase in audited gross profit from 124.5 million euros to 164.8 million euros in the fiscal year ending on Dec. 31 2022. European bourses had a mixed first half of the year, with funds raised through listings on the Paris Stock Exchange plunging 92%, while the London Stock Exchange held steady.

Persons: Renk, Susanne Wiegand, bourses, Susannah Streeter, Hargreaves Lansdown Organizations: Frankfurt Stock Exchange, CNBC, Triton, Reuters, Paris Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, Schott Pharma, Hargreaves Locations: Augsburg, Germany, Ukraine, Frankfurt

☆ Yen gets some relief as dollar pulls back overnight
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The yen got some much needed relief as the dollar and U.S. Treasury yields both steadied slightly lower on Thursday after mixed U.S. economic data overnight had markets lowering the odds of the Federal Reserve's raising interest rates again this year. The dollar index , which tracks the greenback against six peers, held near overnight levels at 106.78. Longer dated U.S. Treasury yields eased from 16-year highs after the data and remained off recent highs in the Asian morning. The yen, which tends to be sensitive to U.S. yields, last traded around 148.85 yen , down almost 0.2% from late U.S. levels and off Tuesday's low of 150.165. Sterling traded at $1.2139, off of Wednesday's fresh low of $1.20385 per dollar.

Persons: Kyle Rodda, Sterling Organizations: U.S, Treasury, ADP, Institute for Supply, PMI, Bank of, Japan Locations: Kawasaki, Japan, U.S

☆ US services sector growth slows moderately
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

The survey's measure of new orders received by services businesses dropped to 51.8, the lowest level since December, from 57.5 in August. PRICES REMAIN ELEVATEDDespite the slowdown in new orders, services businesses continued to face higher prices. A gauge of prices paid by services businesses for inputs was unchanged at 58.9. Some economists view the ISM services prices paid measure as a good predictor of personal consumption expenditures (PCE) inflation. The ISM's gauge of services sector employment dipped to 53.4 from 54.7 in August, which mostly reflected supply issues.

Persons: Amira Karaoud, Kurt Rankin, tightens, September's, Goldman Sachs, Lucia Mutikani, Paul Simao, Andrea Ricci, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, PMI, Institute for Supply Management, Federal Reserve, PNC Financial, United Auto Workers, Retailers, Treasury, Fed, ADP, Conference Board, Stanford Digital Economy, Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Goldman, BLS, Thomson Locations: Louisville, U.S, WASHINGTON, Pittsburgh

☆ Oil falls over $1 on demand fears, Saudi confirms cuts to year-end
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Robert Harvey | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oil pump jacks are seen at the Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas deposit in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina, January 21, 2019. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Oil fell on Wednesday, as pledges by Saudi Arabia and Russia to continue crude output cuts to the end of 2023 were offset by demand fears stemming from macroeconomic headwinds. Brent crude oil futures were down $1.51, or 1.66%, to $89.41 a barrel at 1206 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) fell $1.59, or 1.78%, to $87.64 per barrel. Saudi Arabia's energy ministry confirmed on Wednesday it will continue its voluntary 1 million barrel per day (bpd) crude supply cut until the end of this year. As the trade currency of oil, a strong dollar makes oil comparatively expensive for holders of other currencies, which can dampen demand.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Brent, Callum Macpherson, John Evans, Robert Harvey, Laura Sanicola, Muyu Xu, Mark Potter, Louise Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, U.S, West Texas, Wednesday, Saudi, Kommersant, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 26, 2023. While the 30-year Treasury yield crossed above 5% for the first time since August 2007, the 10-year and five-year yields hit their highest since 2007. The CBOE volatility index (.VIX), Wall Street's "fear gauge", briefly hit a five-month high and topped its long-term average of 20. A day after U.S. job openings unexpectedly rose in August, investors will closely monitor September ADP National Employment data at 8:15 a.m. Reporting by Ankika Biswas and Shashwat Chauhan in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak DasguptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Kevin McCarthy, Mark Haefele, Haefele, Austan Goolsbee, Michelle Bowman, Eli Lilly, LLY.N, Mike Mason, Ankika Biswas, Shashwat Chauhan, Shounak Dasgupta Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Apple, U.S . House Republicans, Treasury, Microsoft, Nvidia, Dow e, Nasdaq, Federal, UBS Global Wealth, Institute, Supply, PMI, Chicago, Traders, Dow, Intel, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Euro zone economy likely contracted in Q3 as demand faltered -PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HCOB's final Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, nudged up to 47.2 in September from August's 46.7. Wednesday's survey showed the downturn was broad-based as, like in August, output declined in both services and manufacturing. "The HCOB Composite PMI for the euro zone did rebound a bit. A PMI covering the bloc's dominant services industry remained sub-50 for a second month but did rise to 48.7 from 47.9. Indeed, euro zone firms bulked up their teams at a faster pace than in August.

Persons: Cyrus de la Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Hugh Lawson Organizations: P Global, August's, PMI, Hamburg Commercial Bank, Thomson Locations: Germany, France, Hamburg

☆ German service sector activity edges up in Sept -PMI
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A steel worker of ThyssenKrupp stands amid sparks of raw iron coming from a blast furnace at a ThyssenKrupp steel factory in Duisburg, western Germany, November 14, 2022. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBERLIN, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Activity in Germany's services sector edged up slightly in September, following a drop the month before, a survey showed on Wednesday. The HCOB final services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) rose to 50.3 in September from to 47.3 in August, rising back above the 50 level that signals growth in activity. "The recently started downturn in the German services sector looks like it is sticking around for a while," said Cyrus de la Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank. The composite PMI index, which comprises services and manufacturing, rose to 46.4 in September from 44.6 in August, signalling a softer rate of contraction of private sector business activity overall.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Cyrus de la Rubia, la Rubia, Maria Martinez, Hugh Lawson 私 Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Hamburg Commercial Bank Locations: ThyssenKrupp, Duisburg, Germany, Hamburg

☆ Euro zone economy likely contracted in Q3
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HCOB's final Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good gauge of overall economic health, nudged up to 47.2 in September from August's 46.7. Wednesday's survey showed the downturn was broad-based as, like in August, output declined in both services and manufacturing. "The HCOB Composite PMI for the euro zone did rebound a bit. In one bright spot, services firms increased headcount at a faster pace last month than they did in August. Indeed, euro zone firms bulked up their teams at a faster pace than in August.

Persons: Wolfgang Rattay, Cyrus de la Rubia, Jonathan Cable, Hugh Lawson Organizations: REUTERS, P Global, August's, PMI, Hamburg Commercial Bank, Thomson Locations: Duisburg, Germany, France, Hamburg

☆ US service sector slows modestly in September -ISM survey
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Despite the slowdown in new orders, services inflation remained elevated. The services sector is at the center of the Fed's battle to bring inflation down to its 2% target. Services prices tend to be stickier and less responsive to rate hikes. Some economists view the ISM services prices paid measure as a good predictor of personal consumption expenditures (PCE) inflation. A measure of services sector employment fell to 53.4 from 54.7 in August.

Persons: Lucia Mutikani, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Institute for Supply Management, PMI, Fed, Thomson Locations: U.S

REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 5 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. Global currency volatility on Wednesday spiked to its highest since May, a day after U.S. Treasury market volatility also jumped to a five-month high. And although U.S. yields fell across the board, yield curve steepening continued as the 30-year yield pierced 5.00%. Japanese assets, meanwhile, will also be sensitive to possible Bank of Japan activity in the domestic government bond or currency markets on Thursday. An esoteric corner of Japanese markets - yen cross-currency basis - is at levels consistent with previous bouts of volatility.

Persons: Issei Kato, Jamie McGeever, Josie Kao Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Treasury, of, Bank of Japan, FX, Japan's Nikkei, PMI, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, U.S, of Japan, Bank, India, Australia

☆ Morning Bid: Yen back near 150 as intervention chatter swirls
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Tokyo has not confirmed any such move to support the yen , with both Japan's finance minister and its top currency diplomat making no direct comment. Tokyo last intervened to buy yen in September and October last year, when the currency eventually slumped to a 32-year low of 151.94 per dollar. In Asian hours, the yen was back just below the 150 mark and last at 149.27 per dollar. They continue to sell bonds, sending yields higher with the 10-year Treasury yield at a fresh 16 year peak. The benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond yield also clung to a 10-year high.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Ankur Banerjee, Kevin McCarthy, Edmund Klamann Organizations: National Printing Bureau, Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Ankur, Reuters, U.S . House, Ofcom, Labs, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, United States, U.S, Germany, France, Italy

☆ South African rand slightly firms as US dollar dips
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

South African Rand coins are seen in this illustration picture taken October 28, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsJOHANNESBURG, Oct 4 (Reuters) - The South African rand traded slightly higher on Wednesday following several days of weakness as the softening of the U.S. dollar supported risk sentiment. At 1619 GMT, the rand traded at 19.2800 against the dollar , about 0.3% stronger than its previous close. South Africa's benchmark 2030 government bond was weaker in afternoon deals, with the yield up 6.5 basis points to 11.085%. Reporting by Tannur Anders and Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Alexander Winning and Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Hutchings, Tannur Anders, Anait, Alexander Winning, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S ., P, Africa PMI, Local, Woolworths, Africa's, Thomson Locations: Rights JOHANNESBURG, Africa, Stillwater, Johannesburg

☆ Dollar hits new high on upbeat data, yen teeters near intervention line
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( Brigid Riley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The euro also traded near a one-year low against the greenback, dropping below January's 1.0482 nadir, as manufacturing surveys released in both Europe and the U.S. on Monday highlighted the divergence between the two economies. The dollar index rose around 0.5% to 107.06, at one point hitting as high as 107.12, its highest since November 2022. Japan's key economic ministers warned again on Monday that authorities were watching with a "strong sense of urgency" as the yen slid. The yen was last at 149.80 against the dollar, just off the overnight low of 149.88. (This story has been corrected to fix euro milestone to near one-year low, not over one-year low, in paragraph 2)Reporting by Brigid Riley Editing by Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Carol Kong, Kong, Sterling, Brigid Riley, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Federal Reserve, Treasury, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, PMI, Reserve Bank of Australia, Thomson Locations: Europe

☆ Morning Bid: This Fed's not for turning
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The U.S. Federal Reserve building is pictured in Washington, March 18, 2008. That thought was echoed by Cleveland Fed chief Loretta Mester, who said: "I suspect we may well need to raise the fed funds rate once more this year." Either way, this is not the sound of a Fed who thinks the inflation battle is won. Fed hawkishness, however, has kept futures markets pricing a 50-50 chance of another quarter point rate hike to the 5.50-5.75% range by year-end. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Jason Reed, Mike Dolan, they've, Michelle Bowman, Loretta Mester, Michael Barr, hawkishness, Raphael Bostic, Susan Fenton Organizations: U.S . Federal, REUTERS, Reserve, Cleveland Fed, Institute, Supply, Bank of Japan, Reserve Bank of Australia, Big Tech, Atlanta Federal Reserve, Treasury, McCormick, PMI, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington, U.S

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. "It's the feeling that the U.S. economy can stomach higher interest rates for a little bit longer," said Bipan Rai, North America head of FX strategy at CIBC Capital Markets in Toronto. "Implicitly it also means that the Fed might not be so quick to cut rates next year either," he said. The Japanese yen weakened 0.31% versus the greenback at 149.77, after falling to 149.90. Investors have been closely watching for signs of intervention in the Japanese currency by the Bank of Japan (BOJ).

Persons: Florence Lo, Kevin McCarthy, Bipan Rai, Edward Moya, Michelle Bowman, Shunichi Suzuki, Chuck Mikolajczak, Marguerita Choy, Alison Williams Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Institute for Supply Management, Congress, Democratic, Republican, Treasury, CIBC Capital Markets, Investors, Bank of Japan, Fed, Bank of Japan's, Japan's Finance, Thomson Locations: U.S, North America, Toronto, New York

☆ US manufacturing sector eyes recovery; construction spending solid
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A separate report from the Commerce Department showed construction spending increased 0.5% in August after rising 0.9% in July, lifted by outlays on single- and multi-family housing. Spending on private construction projects rose 0.5%, with investment in residential construction advancing 0.6% after increasing 1.6% in the prior month. The construction spending report showed outlays on multi-family housing projects rose 0.6% in August. Spending on new single-family construction projects rose 1.7%. Spending on manufacturing construction projects shot up 1.2%.

Persons: Kamil Krzaczynski, Paul Ashworth, outlays, Freddie Mac, Biden, Lucia Mutikani, Andrea Ricci Organizations: REUTERS, Institute for Supply Management, PMI, North America Economist, Capital Economics, Reuters, United Auto Workers, Treasury, Commerce Department, Thomson Locations: Normal , Illinois, U.S, WASHINGTON, Toronto, Panama, China, United States, State

☆ Global stock index dips while bond yields, dollar climb
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Sinéad Carew | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., September 28, 2023. While U.S. indexes were a mixed bag in morning trading, in Europe stocks lost earlier gains after September PMI data, a key indicator of economic health, showed manufacturing activity remains in a broad-based downturn. The pan-European STOXX 600 index (.STOXX) lost 1.21% and MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe (.MIWD00000PUS) shed 0.56%. In currencies, the dollar index rose 0.565%, with the euro down 0.69% to $1.0497. Spot gold dropped 1.1% to $1,828.70 an ounce, while U.S. gold futures fell 0.65% to $1,836.00 an ounce.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Michael Lorizio, Shunichi Suzuki, Brent, Karen Brettell, Marc Jones, Kevin Buckland, Nick Macfie, Mark Potter, Jan Harvey Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Nasdaq, U.S, Treasury, PMI, Manulife Investment Management, Dow Jones, Finance, Reuters, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Europe, Boston, New York, London, Tokyo

Oil rigs are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. Brent December crude futures rose $1.04 to $93.24 a barrel by 1124 GMT after falling 90 cents on Friday. Both benchmarks rallied nearly 30% in the third quarter on forecasts of a wide crude supply deficit in the fourth quarter after Saudi Arabia and Russia extended additional supply cuts to the end of the year. A Reuters survey on Monday showed OPEC oil output rose for a second straight month in September, led by increases in Nigeria and Iran despite cuts by Saudi Arabia. Despite the brighter China news, European manufacturing data showed the euro zone, Germany and Britain all remained mired in a downturn in September - bad news for oil demand.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Baker Hughes, Brent, Hiroyuki Kikukawa, Haitham Al Ghais, Paul Carsten, Yuka Obayashi, Emily Chow, Kim Coghill, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: REUTERS, . West Texas, of, Petroleum, Reuters, NS, ING, PMI, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC, Nigeria, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, China, Germany, Britain, London, Tokyo

Oil rigs are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. Brent December crude futures rose 17 cents, or 0.18%, to $92.37 a barrel by 0802 GMT after falling 90 cents on Friday. Brent November futures settled 7 cents lower at $95.31 a barrel at the contract's expiry on Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 26 cents, or 0.29%, to $91.05 a barrel, after losing 92 cents on Friday. Both benchmarks rallied nearly 30% in the third quarter on forecasts of a wide crude supply deficit in the fourth quarter after Saudi Arabia and Russia extended additional supply cuts to the end of the year.

Oil rigs are seen at Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina January 21, 2019. Brent December crude futures rose 49 cents, or 0.5%, to $92.69 a barrel by 0645 GMT after falling 90 cents on Friday. Brent November futures settled down 7 cents at $95.31 a barrel at the contract's expiry on Friday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 55 cents, or 0.6%, to $91.34 a barrel, after losing 92 cents on Friday. However, a private-sector survey on Sunday was less encouraging, showing the country's factory activity expanded at a slower pace in September.

Persons: Agustin Marcarian, Baker Hughes, recouping, Brent, Hiroyuki Kikukawa, Kevin McCarthy, Yuka Obayashi, Emily Chow, Jamie Freed, Shri Navaratnam, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, . West Texas, of, Petroleum, NS, Nissan Securities, ING, PMI, Republican, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Vaca, Patagonian, Neuquen, Argentina, TOKYO, U.S, Saudi Arabia, Russia, OPEC, Tokyo

☆ Asia-Pacific stocks mixed as China's factory activity expands for the first time in six months
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

China's factory activity in September expanded for the first time April, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Saturday. China's PMI climbed to 50.2 in September from 49.7 in the previous month, beating Reuters' expectations of 50.0. China's non-manufacturing PMI also inched up to 51.7 from a previous reading of 51. Similarly, a private-sector survey reflected an expansion in China's factory activity, albeit at a slowed pace. The Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing PMI dipped to 50.6 in September from 51.0., the survey showed on Sunday, missing forecasts of 51.2.

Persons: — Lee Ying Shan Organizations: National Bureau, Statistics, PMI, Reuters, P Global Locations: China

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