TOKYO -- Japan's headline PMI dipped into contraction territory for the first time in two and half years. Goods producers recorded a sharper downturn in output during February, while new order intakes declined at a quickened pace.
The Nikkei Japan Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index, or PMI, pointed to the first contraction in the Japanese manufacturing economy since August 2016 during February. The headline figure fell to 48.9, from 50.3 in January, the lowest in 32 months.
