Bloomberg monitor 5 private indicators of China's economy, and have summarised them

In brief, all 5 are up from February

1. The China Economic Panel (a joint project of The Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW) in Mannheim, Germany, and Fudan University in Shanghai):

  • March reading for expectations over the coming year: 14.5 (from minus 4.2 in February)
  • Current situation gauge 3.3 (from 4.3 last month)

2. China Satellite Manufacturing Index

  • 51.8 (from 51.1 in February)
  • one of the best readings in the past five years

3. Standard Chartered Small and Medium Enterprise Confidence Index

  • 60 this month
  • The highest in almost two years
  • Sub-indexes sales, production and profitability all strengthened
  • Outlook for investment softened

4. A survey of sales manager sentiment

  • 52.2
  • Up this month to a 20-month high

5. S&P Global Platts China Steel Sentiment Index (a survey of about 75 to 90 China-based market participants including traders and steel mills)

  • 49.19 in March
  • from 25.21 in February

The Bloomberg piece is here for more