Japan GDP On Tap For Monday

(RTTNews) - Japan will on Monday release preliminary Q4 numbers for gross domestic product, highlighting a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

GDP is expected to add 0.9 percent on quarter and 3.7 percent on year after falling 0.5 percent on quarter and 1.9 percent on year in the previous three months.

Japan also will see final December numbers for industrial production, plus January figures for Tokyo condominium sales. The most recent reading for industrial production suggested an increase of 1.0 percent on month and 0.3 percent on year. Condo sales jumped 13.9 percent on year in December.

Australia will see January numbers for new motor vehicle sales; in December, sales added 3.0 percent on month but fell 1.0 percent on year.

Indonesia will release January numbers for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to fall 6.0 percent on year after losing 6.61 percent in December. Exports are called lower by 3.4 percent after tumbling 13.83 percent in the previous month. The trade balance is tipped show a surplus of $56 million, down from $187 million a month earlier.

Thailand will provide Q4 numbers for gross domestic product, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 2.2 percent on year and 2.1 percent on quarter. That follows the 1.1 percent quarterly increase and the 0.6 percent yearly decline in the third quarter.

Taiwan will release GDP figures for the fourth quarter of 2014, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 3.2 percent on year following the 3.17 percent gain in the previous three months.

Also, the markets in Taiwan get a head start on the Lunar New Year break, off Monday through February 24.