China industrial output rises as retail growth slows

China reported a 5.7% year-on-year increase in industrial output for March, representing a slowdown from the 6.3% growth seen during the first two months of the year. Despite the deceleration, the figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) surpassed the 5.5% growth forecast by economists. The broader economic momentum in the world's second-largest economy has been hindered by the geopolitical fallout from the conflict in Iran. Consumption figures also indicated a cooling trend, with retail sales growing by 1.7% in March. This result fell short of the 2.3% expansion predicted by analysts and marked a significant drop from the 2.8% growth recorded in January and February. Additionally, fixed asset investment for the first quarter expanded by 1.7%, missing the anticipated 1.9% growth rate. This follows a 1.9% increase reported during the initial two months of the year.