China posts weakest industrial profit growth this year, expanding 4.2% in August

SHENZHEN, CHINA - AUGUST 30: A Chinese national flag flies from a vessel in front of the MSC Claire container ship berthed beneath gantry cranes at Yantian Port on August 30, 2026, in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China. China is set to release its latest official manufacturing purchasing managers' index as investors assess the outlook for factory activity, domestic demand and exports amid persistent pressure on the world's second-largest economy. (Photo by Cheng Xin/Getty Images)Cheng Xin | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesChina's industrial profits grew at their weakest pace this year, expanding just 4.2% in August from a year earlier, official data released Monday showed, as manufacturers grapple with persistent weakness in consumer demand and a sustained rise in energy costs. The muted growth in August marked the fourth straight month of deceleration, after the 24.7% expansion in April, and the weakest performance since November 2025 when profits posted a double-digit decline. For the first eight months of this year, profits at large industrial firms climbed 15.7%, losing momentum from a 17.6% rise in the January-July period.The slowdown comes after industrial earnings staged a ...