CHINA'S FACTORY ACTIVITY REBOUNDS THANKS TO FESTIVE STOCKPILING

China's factory activity unexpectedly grew in December, snapping a record eight straight months of decline, lifted by a rise in pre-holiday orders as officials seek to spur the $19 trillion economy's manufacturing sector without worsening deflation.

The official purchasing managers' index (PMI) rose to 50.1 in December from 49.2 in November, the National Bureau of Statistics' survey showed on Wednesday, topping the 50-point mark separating growth from contraction and beating a forecast of 49.2 in a Reuters poll.

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