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China central bank survey - more bankers think economy cooled in fourth quarter

A fluttering Chinese national flag casts its shadow on the headquarters of the People's Bank of China, China's central bank, in central Beijing November 24, 2014. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

BEIJING (Reuters) - The number of Chinese bankers who believe the country's economy is cooling increased in the fourth quarter from the third, and a "confidence index" of bankers dropped, according to a central bank survey published on Monday.

The People's Bank of China (PBOC) said the survey showed 48.8 percent of bankers believed showed 48.8 percent of bankers believed the economy was cooling, a rise from 42.8 percent in the third quarter.

The central bank said a confidence index of bankers it uses fell to 52.5 percent in the fourth quarter from 59.1 percent in the July-September period.

The PBOC also said the survey, which involved 3,100 institutions, showed that in the fourth quarter, the number of bankers who believe monetary is "appropriate" increased from July-September.

The survey also showed the confidence index of Chinese enterprises dipped to 61 percent in the current quarter from 63.6 in the previous one.

Slightly fewer Chinese households believed property prices are at unacceptable levels than before, as home prices show signs of cooling, the central bank said.

Among households, 58.8 percent see housing prices as unacceptably high, from 59.5 percent from the third quarter.

The central bank survey of entrepreneurs, bankers and households came amid growing concerns about a protracted slowdown in China's economy, as the property sector cools.

China's annual growth weakened to 7.3 percent in the third quarter, and November's soft factory and investment figures suggest full-year growth will miss Beijing's 7.5 percent target and be the weakest in 24 years.

(Reporting by Megha Rajagopalan and Kevin Yao; Editing by Richard Borsuk)

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