Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2 -- n

The PMI signaled a solid monthly improvement in the health of the manufacturing sector, extending the current sequence of strengthening business conditions to eight months and reaching a four-month high.

Manufacturing production increased rapidly in February, with the rate of expansion quickening to a 19-month high. Output rose at the fastest pace in more than a year and a half amid a sharper increase in new orders. Stronger growth in both employment and purchasing activity was also recorded, while business confidence hit a 41-month high.

The ramp-up in production helped lead to the smallest reduction in stocks of finished goods in just over two years. That said, post-production inventories still decreased ...