China Industrial Profits Rise 17.6% YoY in Jan-July

China’s industrial profits rose 17.6% year-on-year to CNY 4.58 trillion in the first seven months of 2026, slowing from an 18.7% surge in the January-June period. Still, the latest result remained robust, underscoring the resilience of industrial activity despite broader economic challenges. Profits at state-owned enterprises increased 16.3% to CNY 1.49 trillion, while joint-stock companies posted a stronger 23.6% gain to CNY 3.55 trillion. Meanwhile, private firms posted a 10.9% rise in profits to CNY 1.14 trillion. By sector, mining remained the main driver, with profits surging 34.9%, followed by manufacturing ( 18.8%). In contrast, utilities posted a 5.8% drop. By industry, the strongest gains were recorded in computer, communication and other electronic equipment (110%), non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling (91.8%), and chemicals (56.6%). In July alone, industrial profits grew 11.2% from a year earlier, slowing from June's 15.1% jump and signaling the slowest pace this year.

China’s industrial profits rose 18.7% yoy to CNY 3.95 trillion in the first half of 2026, easing marginally from an 18.8% growth in the January-May period. Resilient exports helped cushion the impact of sluggish domestic demand, highlighting the economy's uneven recovery despite efforts to boost consumption. Profits at state-owned enterprises increased 17.9% to CNY 1.30 trillion, while joint-stock companies posted a stronger 24.7% gain to CNY 3.04 trillion. Meanwhile, private firms posted a 13.0% rise in profits to CNY 965.56 billion. By sector, mining remained the main driver, with profits surging 33.5%, followed by manufacturing ( 20.1%). In contrast, utilities posted a 4.2% decline. Among industries, the strongest gains were recorded in non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling (99.4%), computer, communication and other electronic equipment manufacturing (96.9%), and chemicals (67.8%). In June alone, industrial profits climbed 15.1% from a year earlier, slowing from May's 21.1% surge.

China’s industrial profits surged 18.8% year-on-year to CNY 3.14 trillion in the January-May 2026 period, accelerating from a 18.2% gain in the first four months of the year. The latest result reflected the ongoing AI investment boom and continued policy support for advanced industries despite lingering weakness in parts of the property-related sector. State-owned enterprises posted solid gains, with profits up 19.6% to CNY 1.05 trillion, while joint-stock companies climbed 24.1% to CNY 2.43 trillion. In addition, private firms saw profit growth of 10.7% to CNY 772.65 billion. By sector, manufacturing remained the key driver, soaring 74.3%, followed by utilities (63.7%) and mining (54.4%). Industry highlights included non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling (117.1%), computer and communication equipment (103.9%), and chemicals (71.6%). In May alone, industrial profits rose 21.1% from the prior year, moderating from April’s 24.7% jump, the strongest pace since November 2023.