China’s Manufacturing Grows at Slower Pace, Survey Shows

A Chinese manufacturing index fell after the government raised interest rates and lenders’ reserve requirements and allowed gains in the yuan to pick up pace.

The Purchasing Managers’ Index was at 52.9 in April from 53.4 in March, China’s logistics federation and the statistics bureau said in an e-mail today. That was below a median forecast of 53.9 in a Bloomberg News survey of 20 economists.

U.S. Payrolls Probably Rose in April for Seventh Month

Employment probably increased for a seventh straight month in April, while manufacturing stayed at the forefront of the expansion, economists said before reports this week.

Payrolls rose by 190,000 workers last month after a 216,000 advance in March, according to the median forecast of 56 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News ahead of Labor Department data on May 6. Other figures may show that both factories and service industries expanded in April.

South Korea Exports Rise to Record, Weathering Won’s Gains

South Korea’s exports expanded at a faster-than-expected pace to a record in April, weathering gains by the nation’s currency.

Exports climbed 26.6 percent from a year earlier, compared with a revised 28.9 percent gain in March, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy said today. The median estimate in a Bloomberg News survey of 13 economists was for a 23.7 percent gain.
South Korea’s exports expanded at a faster-than-expected pace to a record in April, weathering gains by the nation’s currency.