China's factories grow less than expected, raising recovery doubts

Economists had expected stronger growth in the manufacturing sector after recent stimulus measures by the Beijing regime

China's manufacturing sector expanded less than expected in April, raising doubts about the sustainability of a recent pick-up in the world's second-largest economy.

The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) was 50.1 in April, easing from March's 50.2 and barely above the 50-point mark that separates expansion in activity from contraction.