China factory activity expands for first time in three months in September

China's factory activity returned to growth in September as a deepening economic malaise prompts policymakers to ramp up stimulus steps and bolster growth. The official manufacturing purchasing managers' index rose to 50.1 from 49.8 in August , National Bureau of Statistics data showed Wednesday, in line with than analysts' forecast for a modest expansion of 50.1 in a Reuters poll. Manufacturers in the country have benefited from the AI hardware boom while weak consumer demand at home has been a major worry, with higher energy costs owed to the the Middle East war weighing on margins.