China's July industrial output grew 4.5% y/y, retail sales up 0.6%

BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Reuters) - China's industrial output in July grew 4.5% from a year earlier, slowing from 5.3% growth in June, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday.

The output data missed expectations for a 4.8% rise in a Reuters poll of 26 analysts.

Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, grew 0.6%, compared with a 1% rise in June. Analysts had forecast 1.5% growth.

Fixed-asset investment contracted 6.7% in the first seven months of 2026, compared with an expected 6% decline. It fell 5.7% in the January-June period.