The consensus is for a rise to 50.7 from 50.4 in the data, which is due out at 0100 GMT on Saturday. A miss in the report could set the tone in markets on Monday. Reuters has a preview.
Unlike the HSBC/Markit PMI that is biased towards smaller-sized factories, the official PMI favors large manufacturers in heavy industries such as steel and car production, which are among the hardest hit in the latest slowdown.
