CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - Australia will on Friday release December and Q4 data for retail sales, highlighting a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.
December sales are expected to add a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent on month, unchanged from the November reading. Q4 sales are expected to gain 0.9 percent, up from 0.6 percent in the three months prior.
Australia also will see January results for the Performance of Construction Index from AiG; in December, the index score was 46.8.
Japan will release preliminary December numbers for its leading and coincident indexes. The leading index is expected to show a score of 102.7, down from 103.5 in November. The coincident is called at 111.0, down from 111.9.
Malaysia will release December figures for import, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to gain 4.3 percent on year, slowing from 9.0 percent in November. Exports are called higher by 4.9 percent, down from 6.0 percent in the previous month. The trade balance is pegged at 9.7 billion ringgit, down from 10.2 billion a month earlier.
Taiwan will provide January figures for consumer and wholesale prices. CPI is expected to add 0.75 percent on year, up from 0.14 percent in December. WPI is called lower by 5.08 percent after contracting 7.06 percent in the previous month.
The Philippines will see December figures for consumer prices, with inflation expected to rise to 1.4 percent from 1.1 percent in November.
Indonesia will release Q4 figures for gross domestic product. In the third quarter, GDP added 3.21 percent on quarter and 4.73 percent on year.
Finally, the markets in Taiwan remain closed for the long Lunar New Year break. They re-open February 15.
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2016 AFX News
