A BARRAGE of August economic data did little to dispel views that domestic demand is softening and government support measures will take some time to kick in.

While industrial output and retail sales readings Friday were better than expected, most other indicators over the weekend were downbeat, with a key investment gauge falling to a fresh low and broad credit growth the slowest on record.

Industrial output rose 6.1 percent from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said, a tick better than July.

Retail sales rose 9 percent, driven by jewelry and home appliances. Analysts had expected 8.8 percent, unchanged from July and not far from a 15-year low.

A closer examination of both data series, however, pointed to signs of underlying weakness.

Industrial exports looked solid, but analysts believe companies have been rushing out products, or “frontloading,” to beat U.S. tariffs, raising the risk of a slump later in the year.

Production of key goods such as motor vehicles and transport equipment continued to decline. Output of cars barely grew, while steel mills, aluminum smelters and oil refiners all throttled back output from recent high levels.

Growth in high-tech products like semiconductors and industrial robots also slowed sharply.

Auto sales, which account for a tenth of retail sales, fell 3.2 percent year on year as Chinese consumers turned more cautious.

Investment data — a key indicator of future activity — also pointed to a further loss of economic momentum.

Fixed-asset investment growth slowed to 5.3 percent in the January-August period, weighed down again by slowing infrastructure growth.

Growth in real estate investment, which mainly focuses on residential but also includes commercial and office space, rose 9.2 percent in August from the same period a year earlier, easing from a 13.2-percent rise in July, calculations from NBS data out Friday.(SD-Agencies)