Japan’s Factory Activity Expands at Slowest Pace in 20 Months: Flash PMI

Japan’s Factory Activity Expands at Slowest Pace in 20 Months: Flash PMI
A worker walks near a factory at the Keihin industrial zone in Kawasaki, Japan, on March 8, 2017. Toru Hanai/Reuters
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TOKYO—Japan’s factory activity growth hit a 20-month low in September, as firms struggled with a global slowdown and pressure from high energy and raw material prices that was exacerbated by a weak yen.

The au Jibun Bank Flash Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) slipped to a seasonally adjusted 51.0 in September from the prior month’s final of 51.5.