【招银研究|宏观点评】波动修复——中国经济数据点评（2025年8月）

Core Viewpoint - The economic data for August indicates a slowdown in China's economy, with key indicators falling short of market expectations, highlighting persistent supply-demand imbalances and increasing downward pressure on growth [1][4]. Group 1: Consumption - Retail sales growth in August was 3.4%, below the expected 3.8%, influenced by adjustments in national subsidies and the emergence of consumption loan interest subsidies [3][5]. - Commodity consumption growth declined by 0.4 percentage points to 3.6%, marking the third consecutive month of slowdown, with notable performance in upgraded goods like jewelry and sports equipment [5]. - Service consumption remained resilient, with retail sales growth slightly decreasing to 5.1%, driven by increased demand for travel and leisure activities during the summer [8][10]. Group 2: Fixed Asset Investment - Fixed asset investment growth was only 0.5% in August, a significant drop of 1.1 percentage points from the previous month, with infrastructure and manufacturing investments also declining [11][12]. - Real estate investment saw a year-on-year decline of 12.9%, with new construction and sales continuing to weaken, indicating ongoing challenges in the property market [12][15]. - The government is expected to implement policies to stimulate investment, including early issuance of local government debt limits to alleviate financial burdens [15][28]. Group 3: Trade - Export growth in August was 4.8% year-on-year, down from 7.2%, primarily due to a significant drop in exports to the U.S., which fell by 33.1% [19][21]. - Imports also slowed to a growth rate of 1.3%, with declines in energy and agricultural product imports, while trade surplus expanded to $102.33 billion, up 11.8% year-on-year [19][20]. Group 4: Supply - Industrial production growth slowed to 5.2%, below the expected 5.7%, with ongoing supply-demand imbalances and a decline in the production of consumer goods [22]. - High-tech manufacturing sectors showed robust growth, with a 9.3% increase, while overall production faced challenges from weak domestic and external demand [22]. Group 5: Inflation - CPI inflation rose to 0.9%, marking the fourth consecutive month of increase, while PPI inflation improved to -2.9%, indicating some recovery in industrial prices [25][27]. - The divergence in CPI and PPI trends suggests potential for marginal recovery in prices, supported by various favorable factors [27]. Group 6: Outlook - The economic outlook suggests a potential GDP growth rate of around 4.7% for the third quarter, with increasing pressure to stabilize growth and the likelihood of new policies to support consumption and investment [28].