BEIJING -- China's building materials sector saw positive growth in the first three quarters, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT).

The sector's value-added output gained 0.7 percent year-on-year during the period, reversing the previous downward trend, the MIIT said.

In September alone, the value-added output jumped 8.9 percent year-on-year, expanding by 2.4 percentage points from the growth rate a year ago, MIIT data showed.

Prices of building materials rose 0.05 percent year-on-year in the first three quarters, with cement prices down 3.3 percent and that of plate glass up 6.9 percent.

The sector's profits during the period edged down 0.9 percent year-on-year, almost returning to the same period last year.

In September alone, the total profits of the sector surged 16.4 percent year-on-year, up 5.4 percent from the previous month.