NZ manufacturing picks up in August after brief mid-year lull

NZ manufacturing picks up in August after brief mid-year lull
By Paul McBeth Sept. 12 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand manufacturing activity picked up in August, extending the period of expansion to two years, and pointing to more industrial production after a mid-year lull. The BNZ-Business NZ performance of manufacturing index rose to 56.5 in August from 53 in July, and just below the 56.8 reading in the same month a year earlier. The index was at the highest point since March, and has been above 50, which indicates the sector is expanding, for 24 months. "Today's performance of manufacturing inde...