(Yicai Global) Dec. 27 -- Profits at China's larger industrial firms increased at the quickest pace in eight months in November, reversing a decline the previous month, because of expanding sales and output and a smaller decrease in producer prices.

Total profits rose 5.4 percent to CNY593.4 billion (USD85 billion) last month from a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics said today, using data from companies that generated at least CNY20 million (USD2.7 million) in revenue last year.

For the 11 months from January to November, profits fell 2.1 percent to CNY5.6 trillion, hampered by a 9.9 percent decline in October, which was the steepest drop in eight months.

Editor: James Boynton