Slumping Hong Kong Economy Takes Another Protest Blow

(Bloomberg) --

If September brought a glimmer of hope that Hong Kong’s battered economy was stabilizing, early data from last month offer a reality check. A purchasing managers’ index slumped to a fresh record low, while small-business confidence and property transactions also edged down. More pain may be in store: Unrest this week has become so severe that a top police official on Tuesday warned that Hong Kong’s society “has been pushed to the brink of a total breakdown.”

To contact the reporters on this story: Philip Lagerkranser in Hong Kong at lagerkranser@bloomberg.net;Hannah Dormido in Hong Kong at hdormido@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Jeffrey Black at jblack25@bloomberg.net

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