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EUROPEAN ECONOMICS PREVIEW: GERMAN FOREIGN TRADE DATA DUE

Foreign trade data from Germany is due on Tuesday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 2.00 am ET, Destatis is slated to issue Germany's foreign trade figures. Economists forecast exports to fall 1 percent on month, reversing a 2.2 percent rise in November. Imports are seen easing 1.1 percent after rising 4.7 percent a month ago.

Germany's trade surplus is expected to fall to EUR 15.9 billion from EUR 16.4 billion in November.

At 4.00 am ET, Italy's Istat publishes industrial output data for December. Production is expected to grow 0.3 percent, in contrast to a 1.4 percent drop in November.

At 5.00 am ET, December industrial production report is due from Greece. Production had increased 8.6 percent on a yearly basis in November.

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CHINA CONSUMER PRICES RISE 1.0% ON MONTH IN JANUARY

Consumer prices in China were up 1.0 percent on month in January, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday - in line with expectations following the 0.7 percent increase in December.

On a yearly basis, consumer prices fell 0.3 percent - shy of expectations for a flat reading following the 0.2 percent gain in the previous month.

The bureau also said that producer prices rose 0.3 percent on year in January - missing forecasts for an increase of 0.4 percent after sinking 0.4 percent a month earlier.

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NEW ZEALAND ELECTRONIC CARD TRANSACTIONS SLIP 0.4% IN JANUARY

The total value of electronic card transactions in New Zealand was down a seasonally adjusted 0.4 percent on month or NZ$24 million in January, Statistics New Zealand said on Thursday - following the 19.2 percent spike in December.

Spending in the core retail industries slipped 0.7 percent on month or NZ$39 million.

On a yearly basis, electronic retail card spending was up 1.9 percent - slowing from 3.5 percent in the previous month.

By industry, the movements were: durables, up NZ$34 million (2.1 percent); motor vehicles (excluding fuel), up NZ$3 million (1.7 percent); fuel, down NZ$1 million (0.3 percent); apparel, down NZ$7 million (2.0 percent); and consumables, down NZ$31 million (1.3 percent).

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NEW ZEALAND FOOD PRICES CLIMB AN UNADJUSTED 1.3% IN JANUARY

Food prices in New Zealand were up an unadjusted 1.3 percent on month in January, Statistics New Zealand said on Friday.

Seasonally adjusted, food prices were flat on month.

In January 2021 compared with December 2020: fruit and vegetable prices rose 1.7 percent (down 1.4 percent after seasonal adjustment); meat, poultry, and fish prices rose 1.1 percent; grocery food prices rose 1.8 percent (up 0.8 percent after seasonal adjustment); non-alcoholic beverage prices rose 2.5 percent; and restaurant meals and ready-to-eat food prices rose 0.3 percent.

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EUROPEAN ECONOMICS PREVIEW: EUROZONE INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT, FOREIGN TRADE DATA DUE

Industrial production and foreign trade figures from euro area are due on Monday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 2.00 am ET, GDP data from Denmark and foreign trade data from Norway are due.

At 3.00 am ET, December construction output data is due from Hungary. Production had increased 5 percent annually in November.

At 4.00 am ET, consumer prices data is due from Poland. Inflation is forecast to remain unchanged at 2.4 percent in January.

At 5.00 am ET, Eurostat is scheduled to issue euro area foreign trade and industrial output figures for December. Economists forecast production to fall 1 percent on month, reversing a 2.5 percent rise in November.

The euro area foreign trade surplus is seen at EUR 25.3 billion in December versus EUR 25.8 billion in the previous month.

In the meantime, January consumer price data is due from Greece. Consumer prices are forecast to drop 2.3 percent annually in December.

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THAI TRADE DATA DUE ON MONDAY

Thailand will on Monday release January figures for imports, exports and trade balance, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

Imports are expected to sink 10.5 percent on year after rising 3.62 percent in December. Exports are called higher by an annual 2.4 percent after adding 4.7 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at $0.1 billion, down from $0.96 billion a month earlier.

China will provide February data on prime loan rates; in January, the one-year rate was 3.85 percent and the five-year rate was 4.65 percent.

Hong Kong will see January figures for consumer prices; in December, overall inflation was down 0.7 percent on year.

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NEW ZEALAND RETAIL SALES VOLUME RISES 4.8% ON YEAR IN Q4

The volume of retail sales in New Zealand was up 4.8 percent on year in the fourth quarter of 2020, Statistics New Zealand said on Tuesday - slowing from 8.3 percent in the three months prior.

The total value of retail sales was up 4.9 percent (NZ$1.3 billion).

The main movements by industry were: motor vehicle and parts retailing, up 12 percent (NZ$412 million); hardware, building, and garden supplies, up 16 percent (NZ$388 million); electrical and electronic goods retailing, up 19 percent (NZ$214 million); and supermarket and grocery stores, up 3.3 percent (NZ$187 million).

On a quarterly basis, sales were down 2.7 percent after skyrocketing 28.0 percent in the previous three months.

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MALAYSIA CONSUMER PRICES DECLINE SLOWS IN JANUARY

Malaysia's consumer prices declined at a softer pace in January, data from the Department of Statistics showed on Wednesday.

The consumer price index declined 0.2 percent year-on-year in January, following a 1.4 percent fall in December. Economists had expected a 0.8 percent fall.

The annual fall was largely driven by the decline in transportation cost, as prices fell 5.1 percent.

Prices for housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels declined 0.7 percent yearly in January.
Prices for clothing and footwear decreased 0.4 percent and those of restaurants and hotel fell 0.1 percent.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 1.2 percent in January.

The core inflation was 0.7 percent in January.

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AUSTRALIA PRIVATE CAPEX CLIMBS 3.0% IN Q4

Private capital expenditure was up 3.0 percent on quarter in the fourth quarter of 2020, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.

That beat forecasts for a flat reading following the 3.0 percent decline in the three months prior.

Capex for buildings and structures rose 0.7 percent in the December quarter 2020, while capex for equipment, plant and machinery rose 5.7 percent in the December quarter 2020.

Capex for mining fell 1.4 percent in the December quarter 2020, while capex for non-mining rose 4.9 percent in the December quarter 2020.

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JAPAN INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT CLIMBS 4.2% IN JANUARY

Industrial production in Japan was up a seasonally adjusted 4.2 percent on month in January, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Friday.

That beat expectations for an increase of 4.0 percent following the 1.0 percent decline in December.

On a yearly basis, industrial production dropped 5.3 percent - roughly in line with forecasts after slipping 2.6 percent in the previous month.

Upon the release of the data, the METI upgraded its assessment of industrial production, saying that it is now picking up.

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CHINA MANUFACTURING PMI SLOWS IN FEBRUARY - CAIXIN

The manufacturing sector in China continued to expand in February, albeit at a slower pace, the latest survey from Caixin showed on Monday with a manufacturing PMI score of 50.9.

That's down from 51.5 in January, although it remains above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

Individually, output expanded modestly amid a softer rise in new work as the pandemic weighed on export sales and supplier performance.

Greater prices for raw materials and higher transport costs led to a further substantial rise in input costs. As a result, prices charged by manufacturers rose solidly as companies looked to partially pass on higher cost burdens to customers.

Business confidence improved on hopes for a global economic recovery in the months ahead.

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CHINA SERVICES SECTOR SLOWS IN FEBRUARY - CAIXIN

The services sector in China continued to expand in February, albeit at a slower pace, the latest survey from Caixin showed on Wednesday with a services PMI score of 51.5.

That's down from 52.0 in January, although it remains above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

Service providers indicated that business activity rose in line with new work. Total new orders increased modestly overall, with the rate of growth likewise easing to a ten-month low. While a number of firms commented on firmer client demand, there were reports that the recent resurgence of COVID-19 cases globally had dampened sales growth.

Although employment fell, there seemed little pressure on operating capacities in February.

The survey also showed that the composite index fell from 52.2 in January to 51.7 in February.

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Denmark Jobless Rate Steady In January

Denmark's jobless rate remain stable in January, figures from Statistics Denmark showed on Thursday.

The gross unemployment rate was a seasonally adjusted 4.4 percent in January, same as seen in December.

The gross unemployment rose by 1,300 to 126,700 in January from 125,500 in the preceding month, the agency said.

The youth jobless rate, which is applicable to the 16 to 24 age group, remained unchanged at 1.9 percent in January.

Based on the LFS data, the number of unemployed persons was 182,000 in January.

DOLLAR GAINS AGAINST OTHER MAJOR CURRENCIES

The U.S. Dollar turned stronger against most of its peers on Thursday after the Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell commented that he does not consider the sell-off in U.S. bonds as a "disorderly" move.

Continued optimism about a quick economic recovery aided dollar's surge. The 10-year U.S. Treasury yield moved past 1.5% on Powell's comment that inflation could see a jump.

Speaking during The Wall Street Journal Jobs Summit, Powell acknowledged the reopening of the economy could "create some upward pressure on prices."

However, Powell suggested the increase in the annual rate of inflation would largely reflect comparisons to the low prices seen a year ago.

The Fed chief said he expects the increase in inflation to be "transitory" and stressed there is "a lot of ground to cover" before price growth reaches a sustainable level above the Fed's 2% target.

Data released by the Labor Department this morning showed initial jobless claims inched up to 745,000 in the week ended February 27th, an increase of 9,000 from the previous week's revised level of 736,000. Economists had expected jobless claims to rise to 750,000 from the 730,000 originally reported for the previous week.

A separate report released by the Commerce Department showed a bigger than expected increase in new orders for U.S. manufactured goods in the month of January.

The dollar index rose to 91.67, hitting a three-month high, and was last seen at 91.60, up more than 0.7% from previous close.

Against the Euro, the dollar firmed up to $1.1972, gaining 0.75% from $1.2063.

The Pound Sterling weakened by nearly 0.4%, fetching $1.3896 per unit, compared to Wednesday's close of $1.3949.

The Yen was at 107.95 a dollar, about 0.85% down from previous close of 107.02 a dollar.

Against the Aussie, the dollar was stronger at 0.7724, gaining more than 0.6% from 0.7775.

The Swiss Franc weakened to 0.9293, losing more than 1% from 0.9199, while the Loonie was down at 1.2670, compared to 1.2655 on Wednesday.

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EUROPEAN ECONOMICS PREVIEW: GERMANY INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION DATA DUE

Industrial production data from Germany and investor confidence survey results from euro area are due on Monday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 1.45 am ET, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs is scheduled to release Swiss unemployment data for February. The jobless rate is seen at 3.6 percent, up from 3.5 percent in January.

At 2.00 am ET, Destatis is slated to issue Germany's industrial production data for January. Economists forecast output to grow 0.2 percent on month after staying flat in December.

In the meantime, industrial output figures are due from Norway and Denmark.

At 3.00 am ET, Spain's INE publishes industrial production figures for January. Output is expected to drop 0.7 percent on year, following a 0.6 percent fall in December.

At 4.30 am ET, Eurozone Sentix investor confidence survey results are due. Economists forecast the sentiment index to rise to 1.9 in March from -0.2 in February.

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CHINA CONSUMER PRICES EASE 0.2% ON YEAR IN FEBRUARY

Consumer prices in China were down 0.2 percent on year in February, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

That exceeded expectations for a decline of 0.4 percent and was up from -0.3 percent in the previous month.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices climbed 0.6 percent - again beating forecasts for a gain of 0.4 percent but down from 1.0 percent a month earlier.

The bureau also said that producer prices were up 1.7 percent on year - exceeding expectations for an increase of 1.5 percent and up sharply from 0.3 percent in January.

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MALAYSIA INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION GROWTH SLOWS IN JANUARY

Malaysia's industrial production rose at a softer pace in January, data from the Department of Statistics showed on Friday.

Industrial production rose 1.2 percent year-on-year in January, after a 1.7 percent increase in December. Economists had expected a 0.7 percent rise.

The growth in production was mainly driven by a rise in production of manufacturing industry.

Manufacturing output gained 3.5 percent yearly in January, after a 4.1 percent increase in the previous month.

Among other sectors, the mining and quarrying output decreased 4.5 percent and electricity output fell 4.6 percent.

On a monthly basis, industrial production rose 0.1 percent in January.

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JAPAN CORE MACHINE ORDERS SLIP 4.5% ON MONTH IN JANUARY

The value of core machine orders in Japan was down a seasonally adjusted 4.5 percent on month in January, the Cabinet Office said on Monday - coming in at 2,397.4 billion yen.

That exceeded expectations for a decline of 5.5 percent following the upwardly revised 5.3 percent increase in December (originally 5.2 percent).

On a yearly basis, core machine orders climbed 1.5 percent - again beating forecasts for a decline of 0.2 percent after spiking 11.8 percent in the previous month.

The forecast for Q1 2021 core machine orders suggests a decline of 6.0 percent on quarter and 5.2 percent on year.

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AUSTRALIA HOUSE PRICE INDEX CLIMBS 3.0% IN Q4

The house price index in Australia was up 3.0 percent on quarter in the fourth quarter of 2020, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.

That beat forecasts for an increase of 2.0 percent following the 0.8 percent increase in the previous three months.

On a yearly basis, the house price index gained 3.6 percent, slowing from 4.5 percent in the three months prior.

The total value of residential dwellings in Australia rose A$257.9 billion to A$7,724.4 billion in Q4.

The mean price of residential dwellings rose A$21,300 to A$728,500, while the number of residential dwellings rose by 44,100 to 10,602,700.

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SINGAPORE NON-OIL EXPORTS JUMP 8.2% ON MONTH IN FEBRUARY

The value of non-oil domestic exports in Singapore jumped a seasonally adjusted 8.2 percent on month in February, Statistics Singapore said on Wednesday.

That beat forecasts for a decline of 1.0 percent following the downwardly revised 6.9 percent increase in January (originally 7.0 percent).

On a yearly basis, exports gained 4.2 percent - shy of expectations for 6.6 percent following the downwardly revised 12.7 percent increase in the previous month (originally 12.8 percent).

Total trade was down 3.3 percent on year after slipping 1.9 percent in January. It was up 6.0 percent on month after rising 5.7 percent in January.

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AUSTRALIA RETAIL SALES SINK 1.1% IN FEBRUARY

The total value of retail sales in Australia was down a seasonally adjusted 1.1 percent on month in February, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Friday - coming in at A$30.192 billion.

That missed expectations for an increase of 0.4 percent following the 0.3 percent gain in January.

By industry, food retailing led the falls, down 3 percent. All states and territories saw a fall in Food retailing, although the industry remains 6.5 percent above the levels of February 2020.

On a yearly basis, retail sales were up 8.7 percent.

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HONG KONG TRADE DATA DUE ON THURSDAY

Hong Kong will on Thursday release February figures for imports, exports and trade balance, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

In January, imports were up 37.7 percent on year and exports surged an annual 44 percent for a trade deficit of HKD25.2 billion.

Thailand will provide February numbers for industrial production, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 0.6 percent on year following the 2.8 percent contraction in January.

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MALAYSIA EXPORTS RISES IN FEBRUARY

Malaysia's exports grew in February, data from the Department of Statistics showed on Monday.

Exports increased 17.6 percent year-on-year to MYR 87.6 billion in February. Economists had expected a rise of 8.8 percent.

Imports gained 12.7 percent annually to MYR 69.7 billion in February. Economists had forecast a 4.0 percent rise.

The trade surplus totaled MYR 17.9 billion in February, which was above the expected level of MYR 15.9 billion.

On a monthly basis, exports declined 2.3 percent in February and imports decreased 4.5 percent.

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JAPAN RETAIL SALES SINK 1.5% ON YEAR IN FEBRUARY

The total value of retail sales in Japan was down 1.5 percent on year in February, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Tuesday - coming in at 11.628 trillion yen.

That beat forecasts for a decline of 2.8 percent following the 2.4 percent drop in the previous month.

On a monthly basis, retail sales jumped 1.4 percent after dropping 1.7 percent in January.

Commercial sales were down 3.3 percent on year and up 0.4 percent on month at 42.114 trillion yen, while wholesale sales sank 1.2 percent on month and 4.3 percent on year to 30.486 trillion yen.

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UK SHOP PRICES CONTINUE TO FALL IN MARCH: BRC

UK shop prices continued to fall in March as non-food retailers resorted to discounting, data from the British Retail Consortium, or BRC, showed Tuesday.

The shop price index fell 2.4 percent on a yearly basis in March. Non-food prices were down 4 percent from last year, while food prices gained 0.3 percent.

Retail prices fell again in March as the third consecutive month of lockdown led many non-food retailers, especially clothing, to heavily discount their products, Helen Dickinson, chief executive, at BRC, said.

Rising global food prices, at their highest since 2014, as well as increased oil prices and shipping costs, and Brexit red tape will likely begin to filter through, pushing up prices at tills, Dickinson added.

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CHINA MANUFACTURING PMI SLOWS IN MARCH - CAIXIN

The manufacturing sector in China continued to expand in March, albeit at a slightly slower pace, the latest survey from Caixin showed on Thursday with a seasonally adjusted manufacturing PMI score of 50.6.

That's down from 50.9 in February, although it remains well above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

Individually, production increased again amid a further uptick in sales, while export orders rose for the first time in three months.

Manufacturers were confident that output would continue to rise over the next year, with the level of positive sentiment among the highest seen over the past seven years. Growth projections were heavily linked to expectations that the pandemic will end, and that global demand will recover.

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SOUTH KOREA CONSUMER PRICES CLIMB 1.5% ON YEAR IN MARCH

Consumer prices in South Korea were up 1.5 percent on year in March, Statistics Korea said on Friday.

That exceeded expectations for an increase of 1.35 percent and was up from 1.1 percent in February.

On a monthly basis, inflation rose 0.1 percent - again exceeding expectations for a decline of 0.1 percent following the 0.5 percent gain in the previous month.

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EUROPEAN ECONOMICS PREVIEW: EUROZONE UNEMPLOYMENT DATA DUE

Unemployment data from euro area is due on Tuesday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 3.00 am ET, Spain unemployment data for March is due from the labor ministry. The number of unemployed increased by 44,400 in February.

At 4.00 am ET, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders releases UK car registrations data for March.

In the meantime, Italy's Istat publishes unemployment data for February. The jobless rate is seen unchanged at 9.0 percent.

Half an hour later, Eurozone Sentix investor confidence survey results are due. Economists expect the index to rise to 7.5 in April from 5.0 in March.

At 5.00 am ET, Eurostat releases euro area unemployment data for February. The jobless rate is seen unchanged at 8.1 percent.

At 8.30 am ET, the International Monetary Fund releases the World Economic Outlook.

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EUROPEAN ECONOMICS PREVIEW: EUROZONE UNEMPLOYMENT DATA DUE

Unemployment data from euro area is due on Tuesday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 3.00 am ET, Spain unemployment data for March is due from the labor ministry. The number of unemployed increased by 44,400 in February.

At 4.00 am ET, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders releases UK car registrations data for March.

In the meantime, Italy's Istat publishes unemployment data for February. The jobless rate is seen unchanged at 9.0 percent.

Half an hour later, Eurozone Sentix investor confidence survey results are due. Economists expect the index to rise to 7.5 in April from 5.0 in March.

At 5.00 am ET, Eurostat releases euro area unemployment data for February. The jobless rate is seen unchanged at 8.1 percent.

At 8.30 am ET, the International Monetary Fund releases the World Economic Outlook.

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AUSTRALIA BUILDING PERMITS SURGE IN FEBRUARY

The total number of building permits issued in Australia came in at a seasonally adjusted 21.6 percent on month in February - standing at 19,422.

That was in line with expectations following the 19.4 percent slump in January.

Private sector houses rose 15.1 percent, while private sector dwellings excluding houses increased 45.3 percent.

On a yearly basis, overall permits climbed 20.1 percent, private sector houses surged 57.5 percent and private sector dwellings excluding houses plunged 28.7 percent.

The seasonally adjusted estimate for the value of non-residential building approved rose 27.5 percent.

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EUROPEAN ECONOMICS PREVIEW: UK GDP, FOREIGN TRADE DATA DUE

Monthly GDP, foreign trade and industrial production from the UK are due on Tuesday, headlining a busy day for the European economic news.

At 2.00 am ET, the Office for National Statistics releases UK monthly GDP estimate, industrial output and external trade figures. The economy is forecast to grow 0.6 percent on month in February, reversing a 2.9 percent fall in January.

The UK industrial output is forecast to grow 0.5 percent in February, reversing a 1.5 percent drop in the previous month. The visible trade deficit is seen at GBP 10.4 billion versus -GBP 9.82 billion in January.

In the meantime, Germany's wholesale price data for March is due.

At 3.00 am ET, consumer price data is due from the Czech Republic. Inflation is forecast to rise to 2.4 percent in March from 2.1 percent in February.

At 4.00 am ET, Italy's Istat publishes industrial output data for February. Economists forecast industrial output to climb 0.7 percent month-on-month, but slower than the 1 percent increase in January.

At 5.00 am ET, Germany's ZEW economic confidence survey results are due. The economic sentiment index is forecast to rise to 79 in April from 76.6 in March.

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EUROPEAN ECONOMICS PREVIEW: EUROZONE INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT DATA DUE

Industrial production from euro area is due on Wednesday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 3.00 am ET, Spain's INE releases final consumer prices for March. According to flash estimate, consumer prices grew 1.3 percent year-on-year, the fastest since April 2019. Half an hour later, Statistics Sweden is set to issue consumer prices for March. Inflation is expected to rise to 1.7 percent from 1.4 percent in February.

At 4.30 am ET, the Office for National Statistics publishes UK labor productivity for the fourth quarter.

At 5.00 am ET, Eurostat is scheduled to release euro area industrial production for February. Economists forecast output to fall 1.1 percent month-on-month, reversing a 0.8 percent rise in January.

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AUSTRALIA UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS TO 5.6% IN MARCH

The jobless rate in Australia came in at a seasonally adjusted 5.6 percent in March, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.

That was lower than expectations for 5.7 percent and down from 5.8 percent in February.

The Australian economy added 70,700 jobs last month - far surpassing forecasts for the addition of 35,000 jobs following the increase of 88,700 jobs in February.

The participation rate came in at 66.3 percent - again topping expectations for 66.1 percent, which would have been unchanged from the previous month.

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CHINA GDP JUMPS 18.3% ON YEAR IN Q1

China's gross domestic product expanded 18.3 percent on year in the first quarter of 2021, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday.

That was shy of estimates for a jump of 19.0 percent but was up sharply from the 6.5 percent growth in the fourth quarter of 2020.

The bureau also said that industrial production was up 14.1 percent on year in March - missing forecasts for a gain of 17.2 percent and slowing from the 35.1 percent growth in February.

Retail sales skyrocketed 34.2 percent on year in March, exceeding expectations for a gain of 28.0 percent and up from 33.8 percent in the previous month.

Fixed asset investment jumped an annual 25.8 percent, beating forecasts for 25.0 percent and down from 35.0 percent a month earlier.

The jobless rate in China fell to 5.3 percent in March from 5.5 percent in February.

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JAPAN HAS Y663.7 BILLION TRADE DEFICIT IN MARCH

Japan posted a merchandise trade surplus of 663.7 billion yen in March, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday.

That exceeded expectations for a surplus of 490.0 billion yen following the downwardly revised 215.9 billion yen surplus in February (originally 217.4 billion yen).

Exports jumped 16.1 percent on year to 7.378 trillion yen, beating forecasts for an increase 11.6 percent following the 4.5 percent decline in the previous month.

Imports gained an annual 5.7 percent to 6.714 trillion yen versus expectations for 4.7 percent following the 11.8 percent increase a month earlier.

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JAPAN LEADING, COINCIDENT INDEX DATA DUE ON MONDAY

Japan will on Monday release final February figures for its leading and coincident indexes, highlighting a light day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. Their previous readings were 98.5 and 90.3, respectively.

Singapore will provide March numbers for industrial production, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 2.2 percent on month and 3.0 percent on year. That follows the 1.6 percent monthly increase and the 16.4 percent annual spike in February.

Finally, the markets in New Zealand are closed on Monday for ANZAC Day and will reopen on Tuesday.

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NEW ZEALAND HAS NZ$33 MILLION TRADE SURPLUS IN MARCH

New Zealand posted a merchandise trade surplus of NZ$33 million in March, Statistics New Zealand said on Thursday.

That follows the upwardly revised NZ$201 million surplus in February (originally NZ$181 million).

Exports came in at NZ$5.68 billion, up from the upwardly revised NZ$4.5 billion in the previous month (originally NZ$4.47 billion).

Imports were worth NZ$5.65 billion in March, up from the upwardly revised NZ$4.3 billion a month earlier (originally NZ$4.29 billion).

On a yearly basis, exports were down 2.3 percent and imports climbed 11.0 percent.

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MYANMAR MANUFACTURING PMI IMPROVES TO 33.0 IN APRIL - MARKIT

The manufacturing sector in Myanmar continued to contract in April, albeit at a slower pace, the latest survey from Markit Economics revealed on Monday with a manufacturing PMI score of 33.0.

That's up from 27.5 in March and it remains beneath the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

All five of the PMI components had positive directional influences on the headline figure in April, but four (the exception being suppliers' delivery times) remained well inside negative territory. Output and new orders both fell at the fifth-fastest rates in the survey history, while stocks of purchases and employment contracted at the third- and fourth-quickest rates on record, respectively.

Although firms expect output to rise by April 2022 on balance, overall expectations were the weakest in over two years.

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HONG KONG PRIVATE SECTOR PMI EBBS IN APRIL - MARKIT

The private sector in Hong Kong continued to expand in April, albeit at a slower pace, the latest survey from Markit Economics showed on Wednesday with a services PMI score of 50.3.

That's down from 50.5 in March although it remains above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

A reduced level of COVID-19 case numbers and the loosening of restrictions contributed to improving business conditions at the start of the second quarter of the year.

Total new orders had fallen for the same length of time but stabilized during April. While the situation regarding the pandemic had shown signs of improvement, a number of firms continued to be negatively impacted, preventing more pronounced expansions in output and new orders.

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NEW ZEALAND BUILDING PERMITS SURGE 17.9% IN MARCH

The total number of building permits issued in New Zealand spiked a seasonally adjusted 17.9 percent on month in March, Statistics New Zealand said on Thursday - coming in at 4,218.

That follows the 19.3 percent monthly contraction in February.

Permits were issued for 2,438 stand-alone houses, 1,243 townhouses, flats and units, 276 retirement village units and 261 apartments.

In the year to March, building permits climbed 9.1 percent at 41,028.

The annual value of non-residential building work consented was NZ$7.5 billion, up 5.3 percent from the March 2020 year.

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