The factory output figure, released by the National Bureau
of Statistics, beat expectations for a 4.7% rise in a Reuters
poll of 42 analysts.Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, grew 1.0% in June,
improving from a 0.6% decrease in May, which was the first drop
in more than three years. Analysts had forecast a 0.1% dip.Fixed-asset investment shrank 5.7% in the first six months











