U.S. June flash factory PMI little changed

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch)
The U.S. flash manufacturing purchasing managers' index inched lower to a 52.2 reading in June from 52.3 in May, Markit said Thursday
Details of the report were mixed
New orders improved in June, but employment grew at the slowest rate in the recovery
The index is still above 50, the level that indicates an expansion in activity
"The U.S. manufacturing sector appears to have remained stuck in a low gear in June, rounding off the weakest quarter since the third quarter of last year," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at Markit. Earlier, Markit's euro-zone composite purchasing-managers' index rose to a 15-month high in June, but still showed contraction
A separate preliminary version of HSBC's manufacturing purchasing managers' index for China fell to a nine-month low of 49.6 in June
This was below expectations and helped fuel a sell off in global markets overnight