China Manufacturing PMI Data Due On Thursday

(RTTNews) - China will on Thursday see January results for its manufacturing and non-manufacturing PMIs, highlighting a busy day in Asia-Pacific economic activity.

The manufacturing PMI is expected to see a score of 49.3, down from 49.4 in December. The non-manufacturing PMI is called at 53.9, up from 53.8 in the previous month. The composite was at 52.6 in December.

Japan will release December numbers for industrial production, vehicle production, housing starts and construction orders.

Industrial production is predicted to fall 0.5 percent on month and 2.3 percent on year after sliding 1.0 percent on month and 1.5 percent on year in November. Vehicle production advanced an annual 6.3 percent in the previous month.

Housing starts are tipped to gain 2.0 percent on year after slipping 0.6 percent a month earlier, while construction orders sank an annual 10.7 percent in November.

Australia will provide December figures for private sector credit and Q4 data for import and export prices. Credit is expected to hold steady at 0.3 percent on month and 4.4 percent on year.

Import prices are tipped to rise 0.3 percent on quarter after climbing 1.9 percent in Q3. Export prices are expected to jump 2.7 percent after rising 3.7 percent in the three months prior.

South Korea will see December numbers for industrial production and retail sales. In November, industrial production was down 1.7 percent on month and up 0.1 percent on year, while retail sales added 0.5 percent on month and 1.0 percent on year.

Malaysia will release December data for producer prices; in November, prices were down 2.8 percent on month and 2.9 percent on year.

Thailand will provide December numbers for imports, exports and trade balance. In November, imports were worth $20.65 billion and exports were at $21.32 billion for a trade surplus of $0.66 billion.

Finally, the markets in Taiwan are closed for the long Lunar New Year holiday and will reopen on February 11.