China August output up 5.2% but investment slump deepens
China's industrial output rose 5.2% year-on-year in August, beating forecasts, while retail sales growth slowed to 0.4% and fixed-asset investment fell 7.2% in the first eight months of 2026. Property investment dropped 19.9% over the same period, adding pressure on Beijing for further stimulus. Economists at Oxford Economics cut their 2027 growth forecast to 4.3%.