China manufacturing PMI hits two-month low: HSBC

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch)
China manufacturing activity slipped to a two-month low as export orders swung to a decline, according to preliminary results from HSBC's monthly gauge of the sector
The "flash" version of the HSBC/Markit China manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index eased to 50.4, compared to last month's 50.9 reading
The result was also well below the official government version of the PMI, which hit 51.4 in October
Among the sub-indexes, new export orders slid below the 50 mark dividing growth from contraction, while overall new orders rose, but at a slower rate than in October
The closely watched employment sub-index also showed a decrease after inidicating growth the previous month
The flash PMI generally includes 85% to 90% of the total responses used in the final edition of the report