New Zealand GDP Data Due On Thursday

(RTTNews) - New Zealand is scheduled to release a batch of numbers on Thursday, highlighting a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. On tap are Q3 figures for gross domestic product, plus November numbers for imports, exports, trade balance and credit card spending.

GDP is expected to add 0.6 percent on quarter and 2.8 percent on year after rising 1.0 percent on quarter and 2.8 percent in year in the three months prior. In October, credit card spending was down 0.1 percent on month and up 6.3 percent on year.

Imports are expected to be worth NZ$5.80 billion, down from NZ$6.15 billion in October. Exports are pegged at NZ$4.98 billion, up from NZ$4.86 billion in the previous month. The trade balance is predicted to show a deficit of NZ$880 million following the NZ$1.295 billion shortfall a month earlier.

Australia will see November numbers for unemployment. The jobless rate is expected to hold steady at 5.0 percent, with the addition of 20,000 jobs following the gain of 32,800 jobs in October. The participation rate is called steady at 65.6 percent.

The Bank of Japan will wrap up its monetary policy meeting and announce its decision on interest rates; the BoJ is widely expected to keep its benchmark lending rate unchanged at -0.10 percent.

Japan also will see October figures for its all industry activity index, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 2.0 percent following the 0.9 percent drop in September.

Malaysia will provide November data for consumer prices; in October, inflation was up 0.2 percent on month and 0.6 percent on year.

Hong Kong will release November numbers for consumer prices, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 2.5 percent on year - slowing from 2.7 percent in October.

The central bank in Indonesia will conclude its monetary policy meeting and announce its decision on interest rates; the central bank is widely expected to keep its benchmark lending rate unchanged at 6.00 percent.