While there are signs of improvement in some parts of Asia, "fresh peaks for new daily cases in some countries and relatively slow progress in vaccination rollouts in Southeast Asia mean the risks of semiconductor and other component shortages could persist for an extended period," Harumi Taguchi of IHS Markit said in a commentary. In another sign of slowing activity, an official survey of factory managers showed Chinese manufacturing slowing in August. The manufacturing purchasing managers index, or PMI, fell from 50.1 in August to 49.6 in September on a 0-100 scale where 50 marks the break between expansion and contraction. The survey was conducted before power shortages began causing factories in some parts of China to begin suspending operations.