Industrial profits down 7.3 in Nov vs 10 decline in Oct
Factory sector undergoes uneven recovery, analyst says
Government39;s stepped up stimulus having some effect

BEIJING, Dec 27 Reuters China39;s industrial profits fell at a slower clip in November, official data showed on Friday, but the annual decline in earnings this year is expected to be the worst in over two decades due to persistently soft domestic consumption.

The world39;s secondlargest economy has been struggling to mount a strong postpandemic revival, as business and household appetites for spending and investment remain subdued amid a prolonged housing downturn and fresh trade risks from the incoming U.S. administration of Presidentelect Donald Trump.

Industrial profits fell 7.3 in November from the same month last year, following a 10 drop in October, National Bureau of Statistics NBS data showed.

The narrower decline in November pointed to improved profits as recent economic stimulus measures start to have an effect, said Zhou Maohua, a macroeconomic researcher at China Everbright Bank.

The profit numbers were also in line with a slower decline in factorygate prices in November. The producer price index fell 2.5 yearonyear versus the 2.9 drop in October.

The World Bank on Thursday revised up its 2024 economic growth forecast for China slightly to 4.9 from its June forecast of 4.8.

Still, in the first 11 months of 2024, industrial profits declined 4.7, deepening a 4.3 slide in the JanuaryOctober…