Asia manufacturing picks up in March

Manufacturing activity across Asia expanded in April, widely watched barometers showed on Monday, suggesting that the region’s export-dependent economies were continuing to recover.

China’s official purchasing managers’ index (PMI) hit 50.9 in March, its highest since April 2012 when the figure stood at 53.3, according to the National Bureau of Statistics and the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.

The PMI is a widely watched indicator of economic health, with a reading above 50 suggesting expansion while anything below points to contraction.

via Business feed http://www.scmp.com/business/article/1204678/asia-manufacturing-picks-march