A hat-trick of weaker-than-expected Chinese economic data was released this afternoon with industrial production, retail sales and urban fixed-asset investment...

A hat-trick of weaker-than-expected Chinese economic data was released this afternoon with industrial production, retail sales and urban fixed-asset investment all undershooting badly to the downside. Industrial production rose by 6.9% on year, well below the 9.0% pace of July and expectations for a decline to 8.8%, with activity now expanding at the slowest pace seen since December 2008. While nowhere near as bad as the industrial production figure, retail sales also disappointed on the downside, rising 11.9% following a 12.2% gain in July. The reading was below expectations for growth of 12.1% and left the annual pace of sales at the equal-lowest level seen since March 2011. Last but not least, urban fixed-asset investment, by far the largest contributor to economic growth in recent decades, fell to 16.5% from 17.0% in July, the slowest annual expansion since December 2001. (VIEW LINK)