TOKYO -- China's economic slowdown is dragging down the performance of the global manufacturing industry. In addition to the slump in smartphones, semiconductors and other electronics, demand for machinery has also been sluggish due to weak capital investment.
The net incomes of roughly 13,000 major listed companies in the U.S., China, Europe, Japan and other economies for the July-September period totaled about $1.1 trillion, up 3% compared to the same period a year ago, according to a Nikkei analysis of QUICK-FactSet data. However, manufacturing profits fell 9%, the fourth consecutive quarterly decline.
