Price Data Overview - In March, CPI decreased by 0.4% month-on-month (previous value: -0.2%) and by 0.1% year-on-year (previous value: -0.7%), indicating a narrowing decline[2] - PPI also fell by 0.4% month-on-month (previous value: -0.1%) and by 2.5% year-on-year (previous value: -2.2%), showing an expanded decline[2] Key Influencing Factors - The decline in CPI was primarily driven by three factors: a 3.5% decrease in domestic gasoline prices due to falling international oil prices, which contributed approximately 0.12 percentage points to the CPI decline[2] - Food prices fell by 1.4% month-on-month, impacting CPI by about 0.24 percentage points, with significant drops in fresh vegetables (5.1%), pork (4.4%), and eggs (3.1%)[2] - Weak terminal consumption and industrial demand continued to exert downward pressure, with service prices slightly below historical levels[2] Future Price Trends - Moving forward, tariff impacts are expected to become a significant factor in price evolution, with supply and demand dynamics shifting[2] - The interplay between excess supply and weakening domestic demand will influence price stability, while tariff shocks may lead to lower prices through increased domestic supply[2] Policy Implications - Incremental policies to counter tariff impacts will be crucial, particularly in promoting consumption and stabilizing the real estate market[2] - The effectiveness of these policies will be key in determining future price trends[2] Risks and Challenges - Potential risks include a weakening real estate market, declining exports, and the possibility that incremental policies may not meet expectations[4] - The go-capacity policy may face tougher decisions, as the short-term pain from capacity reduction could be challenging for the domestic economy to absorb[2]

Core Viewpoint - The manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) in March rose to 50.5%, indicating a slight improvement in manufacturing activity compared to February, driven by seasonal factors, policy support, and technological innovations [1][4]. Manufacturing PMI Analysis - The production index, new orders index, new export orders index, and raw materials inventory index all increased, with rises between 0.1 to 0.7 percentage points [1]. - The new orders index reached 51.8%, up 0.7 percentage points from February, indicating sustained demand [4]. - The production index was at 52.6%, reflecting a continuous upward trend for two months [4]. Sector Performance - High-tech manufacturing sectors, such as railway, aerospace, and electronics, showed strong performance with production and new orders indices above 55.0% [6]. - Conversely, industries like wood processing and coal showed indices below the critical point, indicating supply-demand imbalances [6]. - The consumer goods manufacturing PMI rose to 50.0%, driven by policies promoting consumption [6]. Price Indices and Market Dynamics - The main raw materials purchase price index fell to 49.8%, while the factory price index dropped to 47.9%, indicating a supply surplus [7][8]. - The decline in prices is attributed to weak demand and increased production, particularly in the basic raw materials sector [7][8]. Future Outlook - The manufacturing sector is expected to continue its stable recovery in the second quarter, supported by government policies aimed at expanding domestic demand and promoting new urbanization [9]. - The manufacturing production and business activity expectation index was at 53.8%, indicating optimism among enterprises [9]. - However, potential challenges include the impact of increased tariffs on exports and the need for further stabilization in the real estate market [9].

Core Viewpoint - The divergence between PMI and EPMI is primarily due to the differentiation in the economic conditions of emerging and traditional industries, with the former showing stronger performance in March [1][8]. Manufacturing Sector - In March, the manufacturing PMI increased moderately by 0.3 percentage points to 50.5%, which is below market expectations [1][8]. - The EPMI for strategic emerging industries rose significantly by 10.6 percentage points to 59.6%, indicating a strong recovery in these sectors [1][8]. - High-tech and equipment manufacturing sectors saw substantial PMI increases of 1.4 and 1.2 percentage points, reaching 52.3% and 52% respectively, while traditional sectors like consumer goods manufacturing only saw a marginal increase of 0.1 percentage points to 50% [2][13]. - The production index for EPMI surged by 21.6 percentage points, contrasting with a slight increase of 0.1 percentage points in the manufacturing PMI production index, which reached 52.6% [2][17]. Non-Manufacturing Sector - The non-manufacturing PMI rose by 0.4 percentage points to 50.8%, with the construction sector's PMI increasing by 0.7 percentage points to 53.4%, although this was weaker than seasonal expectations [3][5]. - The service sector's PMI increased by 0.3 percentage points to 50.3%, but this was also below the same period in previous years [3][5]. - The construction sector remains constrained by weak real estate investment, while the service sector is limited by the performance of life services [3][22]. Future Outlook - There are increasing risks to exports, but potential improvements in the economy may arise from accelerated import substitution and recovery in the service sector and real estate sales [3][31]. - The manufacturing sector may receive support from accelerated import substitution in industries like electrical and mechanical equipment, while the construction and service sectors show signs of recovery [3][31]. Regular Tracking - The manufacturing PMI continues to show a mild recovery, with production and new order indices slightly increasing [4][37]. - The non-manufacturing PMI reflects a general improvement, with both construction and service sectors showing slight increases [5][46].

Group 1: CPI Analysis - The CPI year-on-year growth rate decreased to -0.7% in February, down 1.2 percentage points from the previous month, primarily due to the impact of the Spring Festival timing [1][4] - Excluding the Spring Festival effect, the CPI year-on-year increased by 0.1% in February, indicating a moderate recovery in prices [1][4] - Food prices contributed over 80% to the total decline in CPI, with fresh vegetable prices dropping by 12.6% year-on-year [5][6] Group 2: PPI Analysis - The PPI year-on-year decline narrowed to 2.2% in February, with the average for January-February also showing a 2.2% decrease compared to the previous year [2][7] - The main reasons for the PPI decline include the off-peak industrial production season and weak demand for construction materials [2][7] - The prices of production materials fell by 2.5%, while living materials prices decreased by 1.2%, with specific industries like coal processing seeing significant price drops [7][8] Group 3: Market Sentiment and Future Outlook - The PMI data indicated an increase in raw material and finished product price indices, but the PPI only slightly narrowed, suggesting a discrepancy between perceived and actual market conditions [3] - The current policy uncertainty may lead to a cautious approach from enterprises, affecting production enthusiasm [3] - Positive signals from the upcoming Two Sessions may help restore market demand and improve production and demand dynamics [3]

3月9日，据国家统计局公布，2025年2月份，全国居民消费价格同比下降0.7%。其中，城市下降0.7%，农村下降 0.7%；食品价格下降3.3%，非食品价格下降0.1%；消费品价格下降0.9%，服务价格下降0.4%。1—2月平均，全 国居民消费价格比上年同期下降0.1%。 2月份，全国居民消费价格环比下降0.2%。其中，城市下降0.2%，农村下降0.1%；食品价格下降0.5%，非食品价格 下降0.1%；消费品价格持平，服务价格下降0.5%。 2025年2月份，全国工业生产者出厂价格同比下降2.2%，环比下降0.1%，降幅比上月均收窄0.1个百分点；工业生产 者购进价格同比下降2.3%，环比下降0.2%。1—2月平均，工业生产者出厂价格比上年同期下降2.2%，工业生产者 购进价格下降2.3%。 一、各类商品及服务价格同比变动情况 2月份，食品烟酒类价格同比下降1.9%，影响CPI（居民消费价格指数）下降约0.54个百分点。食品中，鲜菜价格下 降12.6%，影响CPI下降约0.31个百分点；水产品价格下降3.6%，影响CPI下降约0.07个百分点；蛋类价格下降 2.7%，影响CPI下降约0.02个百分点；畜肉类价 ...

Core Viewpoint - The February PMI shows a mild recovery post-Spring Festival, with a clear "strong-weak" differentiation in structure [2][9]. Manufacturing Sector - The manufacturing PMI rose to 50.2%, up 1.1 percentage points from the previous month, indicating a recovery, albeit moderate [5][16]. - Key sub-indices such as production and new orders showed significant recovery, with production index increasing by 2.7 percentage points to 52.5% and new orders index rising by 1.9 percentage points to 51.1% [5][16]. - The new export orders index remains in contraction at 48.6%, despite a 2.2 percentage point increase [5][17]. Non-Manufacturing Sector - The non-manufacturing PMI increased by 0.2 percentage points to 50.4%, with construction PMI showing a notable rise of 3.4 percentage points to 52.7% [5][18]. - Service sector PMI declined by 0.3 percentage points to 50.0%, with significant drops in consumer-related sectors such as retail, accommodation, and catering [4][19]. Industry Observations - Capital-intensive industries like high-tech and equipment manufacturing show higher PMI levels, while labor-intensive sectors such as consumer goods and high-energy industries remain below the expansion threshold [3][12]. - In the construction sector, the increase in the construction PMI indicates accelerated infrastructure work, while real estate performance appears weaker [3][13]. Future Outlook - The economic recovery foundation remains fragile, with potential export risks increasing. Continuous monitoring of incremental policy changes is necessary [4][15]. - The manufacturing PMI's slight recovery above the neutral line suggests a moderate recovery level, with ongoing export pressures evident [4][15].