Reuters
Japan's factory activity stayed unchanged in June, a private-sector survey showed on Monday, amid lacklustre demand and as companies struggled with rising costs due to the weak yen. The final au Jibun Bank Japan manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI) was at 50.0 on the break-even line that separates growth from contraction, after a brief improvement to 50.4 in May. Among key subindexes, output improved to a 13-month high with firms clearing back-orders and building inventory, but new orders stayed in contraction given sluggish demand, especially in auto and semiconductor sectors, the survey showed.