Azul Airlines Wins Court Approval for $2 Billion Debt Restructuring and New Capital Raise 
S&P 500 Slides as AI Chip Stocks Tumble, Cooling Tech Rally 
SpaceX Insider Share Sale Values Company Near $800 Billion Amid IPO Speculation 
Asian Currencies Hold Steady as Indian Rupee Slides to Record Low on Fed Outlook 
SpaceX Begins IPO Preparations as Wall Street Banks Line Up for Advisory Roles 
Air Force One Delivery Delayed to 2028 as Boeing Faces Rising Costs 
SK Hynix Considers U.S. ADR Listing to Boost Shareholder Value Amid Rising AI Chip Demand 
ANZ Faces Legal Battle as Former CEO Shayne Elliott Sues Over A$13.5 Million Bonus Dispute 
Wall Street Futures Slip as Oracle Earnings Miss Reignites AI Spending Concerns 
Evercore Reaffirms Alphabet’s Search Dominance as AI Competition Intensifies 
Coca-Cola’s Costa Coffee Sale Faces Uncertainty as Talks With TDR Capital Hit Snag 
Gold Prices Dip as Markets Absorb Dovish Fed Outlook; Silver Eases After Record High 
Nomura Expands Alternative Assets Strategy With Focus on Private Debt Acquisitions 
Apple App Store Injunction Largely Upheld as Appeals Court Rules on Epic Games Case 
Gold Prices Slip Slightly in Asia as Silver Nears Record Highs on Dovish Fed Outlook 
Coca-Cola’s Proposed Sale of Costa Coffee Faces Uncertainty Amid Price Dispute 
China’s industrial production expanded at 4.5% in August, marking its slowest growth in five months. The data, released by the National Bureau of Statistics, has placed the country’s annual economic growth target of around 5% in jeopardy as retail sales and investment also slowed.
China’s Industrial Growth Slows to Five-Month Low, Retail Sales and Investment Also Weaken
In August, China's industrial production expanded at its slowest pace in five months, and growth in retail sales and investment also slowed. According to Nikkei Asia, this has placed Beijing's annual economic growth target of "around 5%" at risk.
The National Bureau of Statistics published data on September 14 showing a 4.5% increase in industrial output from the previous year. This was the lowest rate of increase since March, and it failed to meet the consensus forecast of 4.7% growth in a Bloomberg poll.
The industrial output number was subdued, consistent with the official data released earlier, which indicated that China's manufacturing activity contracted for the fourth consecutive month in August.
In August, total retail sales of consumer goods, which measure household expenditure, increased by 2.1%. This was a decrease from the 2.7% increase the previous month and was lower than the 2.5% forecast provided by Bloomberg.
Despite rescue measures, the world's second-largest economy remains burdened by the property sector. Continuing the decline observed in July, the average price of new homes in key cities, including Beijing, decreased by 4.2% in August.
China’s Property Investment Declines 10.2%, Fixed-Asset Growth Slows Amid Economic Pressure
Property investment experienced a 10.2% decline during the initial eight months of the year, which hurt fixed-asset investment, which experienced a 3.4% increase. The expansion fell short of expectations and was less than the 3.6% growth observed from January to July.
"Even with acceleration in government bond issuance, we doubt how effective[ly] the proceeds could be deployed for investment before the grip on debt management is loosened," economists at Citigroup wrote in a research note ahead of the release of the data.
In the second quarter, China's gross domestic product increased 4.7% year over year, falling short of expectations and placing pressure on the authorities, who are resolute in pursuing the full-year objective of "approximately 5%."
The sole cheerful spot is exports, which increased 8.7% last month. However, analysts are skeptical that the momentum will persist in the face of escalating trade tensions. Sluggish imports and stagnant inflation figures again underscored the necessity for additional stimulus to maintain economic growth, highlighting the deteriorating domestic demand.
