SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China's industrial profits fell 0.6 percent in August from a year earlier, reversing from July's 13.5 percent annual rise, the government said on Saturday, the latest in a series of weak data from the world's second-largest economy.
Industrial companies made profits of 3.83 trillion yuan between January and August, 10 percent higher than the same period last year. China's National Bureau of Statistics did not give a reason for the August decline.
The monthly decline adds to recent weak figures that have fuelled fears that China is at risk of a sharp slowdown if it does not make fresh stimulus measures.
China's factory output grew at its weakest pace in nearly six years in August while growth in other key sectors such as retail sales and imports also cooled.
China's economy has had a difficult time this year as a slowdown in the housing market weighs on economy activity. This was further exacerbated by unsteady foreign demand which dragged on exports, factory output and domestic investment.
(Reporting by Brenda Goh and Samuel Shen; Editing by Nick Macfie)