Australia's economy expanded 0.4% in the second quarter, topping expectations of 0.3% and accelerating from 0.3% in the prior quarter, while annual growth eased to 2.1% from 2.5%, still above the 1.8% consensus. The Ai Group Industry Index surged to -3.5 in August from -26.2 in July, the highest since February, though the manufacturing sub-index remained in contraction at -16.6, improving from -19.3. Despite the upbeat data, the S&P/ASX 200 fell 1.3% to 8,950, marking a third straight decline, while the Australian dollar held near $0.71.
