* WHEN: Wednesday, Feb 10, 12:01 p.m. (0401 GMT)
* REUTERS FORECAST: Median forecast +9.0 pct y/y vs -1.3 pct in November. Ten economists took part in the survey and their forecasts ranged from +3.3 pct to +11.2 pct.
* FACTORS TO WATCH: A rise of 9 percent would be the strongest annual increase since February 2008, a cyclical peak for output that preceded a slide as the global downturn hit. Factory output is benefiting from a pick up in exports. They rose 18.7 percent in December from a year earlier, led by electronic shipments, the largest proportion of Malaysian exports, which increased by a third over a year earlier.
* MARKET IMPACT: After a contraction of -1.3 percent in November's output, a healthy rise in December's data will reassure markets that a more solid recovery is underway. The central bank recently said the economy had 'expanded favourably' in the fourth quarter. Fourth-quarter gross domestic product data will be announced by Feb 26.
Forecasts for December industrial production index
(percentage change from a year earlier):
Standard Chartered 3.3
DBS 4.2
IdeaGlobal 5.0
HSBC 8.0
Citigroup 8.7
Maybank 9.2
Action Economics 9.5
Forecast Pte 9.9
ING 10.5
TA Securities 11.2
Median 9.0
November -1.3
October 0.9
(Reporting by Royce Cheah; Editing by Neil Fullick) Keywords: MALAYSIA ECONOMY/OUTPUT (royce.cheah@thomsonreuters.com; +603 2333 8040; Reuters Messaging; royce.cheah.reuters.com@reuters.net; bureau email: areuters@gmail.com) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
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