Profits of China's major industrial firms grew 18.8% year over year to 3.14 trillion yuan during the first five months of the year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics on Saturday.
The year-to-date pace accelerated compared with the 18.2% expansion recorded in the previous four-month period, but missed the Trading Economics forecast for a 20% growth. In May alone, industrial profits jumped 21% year over year.
From January to May, the mining industry achieved a total profit of 479.5 billion yuan, up 33.5% year over year, while the manufacturing industry's profit grew 20% to 2.33 trillion yuan.
Meanwhile, the electricity, heat, gas and water production and supply industry recorded a total profit of 335.9 billion yuan, a decrease of 2.7% year over year.