8月经济数据点评：8月经济：“反内卷”影响开始显现

Economic Data - In August, the year-on-year growth of social retail sales was 3.4%, lower than the expected 3.8% and previous 3.7%[1] - Fixed asset investment showed a cumulative year-on-year increase of 0.5%, down from the previous value of 1.6%[1] - Real estate development investment decreased by 12.9% year-on-year, compared to the expected decline of 12.4% and previous decline of 12%[1] - The industrial added value in August grew by 5.2% year-on-year, below the expected 5.8% and previous 5.7%[1] Production and Investment - Industrial added value fell by 0.5 percentage points to 5.2% in August, indicating a slowdown in downstream production due to "anti-involution" effects[2] - Fixed asset investment dropped by 1.0 percentage points to -6.3% in August, with construction and installation investment declining significantly by 5 percentage points to -11.1%[2] - Real estate investment saw the largest decline, down 2.4 percentage points to -19.4%[2] Real Estate Market - In the real estate sector, the sales area of new commercial housing decreased by 4.7% year-on-year, while the sales amount fell by 10.6%[3] - The credit financing growth rate for real estate companies remained negative at -8.1%, with new construction down 4.8 percentage points to -20.3%[3] Consumer Behavior - The year-on-year growth of social retail sales in August was 3.4%, with significant declines in home appliances (-14.4 percentage points to 14.3%) and communication equipment (-7.6 percentage points to 7.3%) sales[3] - Service consumption remained relatively stable, with restaurant income slightly increasing by 1.0 percentage points to 2.1%[3] Economic Outlook - The report anticipates that external demand will continue to contribute to economic resilience, while internal demand remains weak, particularly due to the impacts of "anti-involution" and the ongoing decline in real estate new construction projects[4] - The need for policies to stabilize consumption and investment in services and infrastructure is emphasized, with ongoing monitoring of policy changes recommended[4]