The recovery was attributed to a stronger housing market and accelerated infrastructure construction. Data also showed that the output sub-index dropped to a reading of 52.2, slightly down from 52.3 a month earlier. Meanwhile, the sub-index for new orders fell by 0.4 points to 51% in April on a monthly basis. Fixed- asset investment increased by 10.7% on the year in the January-March period, while real estate investment rose by 6.2% compared with a year earlier.