China Factory Orders Drop in Ominous Sign for Global Outlook

Investors wanting to gauge the health of global consumer sentiment should look no further than China’s factories right now.

Makers of Christmas decorations to clothing and tents say orders from overseas customers are drying up, with some predicting the best they can aim for is flat demand versus last year, according to more than a dozen export managers interviewed by Bloomberg News. The snapshots from factories in key Chinese hubs indicate…