Factory output is faltering in a number of key economies, darkening the outlook for the global economy and increasing the likelihood that leading central banks will respond with fresh stimulus. Global industrial production has been weakening since the start of 2018. Economists are divided on whether the factory slowdown is largely a consequence of disruptions to trade and investment as a result of higher tariffs and uncertainty about where they will settle, or a more short-lived pause after a long expansion and some setbacks...

Source: Wall Street Journal June 21, 2019 09:23 UTC