Japan Data Due On Friday

(RTTNews) - Japan is scheduled to release a batch of data on Friday, highlighting a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. On tap are December figures for unemployment, industrial production, retail sales, construction orders and housing starts, plus January numbers for Tokyo inflation.

Industrial production is expected to sink 0.4 percent on month after falling 2.7 percent in November. Retail sales are seen higher by 0.7 percent on year, easing from 1.0 percent in the previous month. The jobless rate is called steady at 2.6 percent.

Housing starts are expected to fall an annual 4.5 percent after dropping 8.5 percent in November. Construction orders are tipped to rise 5.1 percent on year, moderating from 9.5 percent a month earlier. In December, overall Tokyo inflation was up 2.0 percent on year and core CPI rose 2.3 percent.

South Korea will provide December data for industrial production and retail sales. Production is expected to add 0.5 percent on month and fall 2.1 percent on year after rising 0.6 percent on month and falling 1.4 percent on year in November. Sales are tipped to slip 1.0 percent on month after shedding 3.3 percent a month earlier.

Australia will see Q4 figures for producer prices; in the previous quarter, producer prices were up 1.0 percent on quarter and 3.5 percent on year.

Taiwan will provide preliminary Q4 GDP data, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 8.50 percent on year, up from 8.21 percent in the previous three months.

Thailand will release December figures for industrial production, current account, imports, exports and trade balance. Production is expected to slip 0.9 percent on year after dropping 4.24 percent in November.

In the previous month, the current account deficit was $600 million, while imports jumped 17.3 percent on year and exports rose an annual 5.5 percent for a trade deficit of $200 million.