Profits earned by Chinese industrial firms fell 0.4 percent in March from a year earlier to 508.61 billion yuan ($82 billion), the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.  That compared with a 4.2 percent year-on-year fall in the first two months of the year.

For the first quarter of the year, profits declined 2.7 percent from a year earlier to 1.25 trillion yuan, the bureau said.  “Despite the narrowed decline in profits, the operational situation of industrial enterprises remained grave,” He Ping, an official at the bureau said in a statement, adding that sluggish demand and falling product prices have pressured earnings.

The NBS attributed the narrower decline in profits last month to a deeper fall in raw material prices and lower financing costs cost after the central bank cut interest rates.  Prices of raw materials fell 5.7 percent from a year earlier in March, 0.2 percentage point more than in the first two months of this year, helping profit margins, the bureau said.

Note: All information on this page is subject to change. The use of this website constitutes acceptance of our user agreement. Please read our privacy policy and legal disclaimer. Opinions expressed at FXstreet.com are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of FXstreet.com or its management. Risk Disclosure: Trading foreign exchange on margin carries a high level of risk, and may not be suitable for all investors. The high degree of leverage can work against you as well as for you. Before deciding to invest in foreign exchange you should carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite. The possibility exists that you could sustain a loss of some or all of your initial investment and therefore you should not invest money that you cannot afford to lose. You should be aware of all the risks associated with foreign exchange trading, and seek advice from an independent financial advisor if you have any doubts.

Recommended Content


Recommended Content

Editors’ Picks

EUR/USD extends sideways grind below 1.0900

EUR/USD extends sideways grind below 1.0900

EUR/USD stays in a consolidation phase below 1.0900 following the previous week's rally. In the absence of high-tier data releases, the US Dollar stays resilient against its rivals as investors scrutinize comments from central bank officials. 

EUR/USD News

Gold retreated from record highs, maintains the upward bias

Gold retreated from record highs, maintains the upward bias

Gold rose sharply at the beginning of the week on escalating geopolitical tensions and touched a new all-time high of $2,450. With market mood improving modestly, XAU/USD erases a majority of its daily gains but manages to hold above $2,400.

Gold News

GBP/USD holds steady near 1.2700, Fedspeak in focus

GBP/USD holds steady near 1.2700, Fedspeak in focus

GBP/USD fluctuates in a narrow channel near 1.2700 on the first trading day of the week. The cautious market stance helps the US Dollar hold its ground, while market participants assess remarks from central bank officials ahead of this week's key events.

GBP/USD News

Ripple stays above $0.50 on Monday as firm backs research on blockchain and quantum computing

Ripple stays above $0.50 on Monday as firm backs research on blockchain and quantum computing

XRP price holds steady above the $0.50 key support level and edges higher on Monday, trading at 0.5130 and rising 0.70% in the day at the time of writing.

Read more

Week ahead: Nvidia results and UK CPI falling back to target

Week ahead: Nvidia results and UK CPI falling back to target

What a week for investors. The Dow Jones reached a record high and closed last week above 40,000, for the first time ever. This is a major bullish signal even though gains for global stocks were fairly modest on Friday, and European stocks closed lower. 

Read more

Majors

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures