Japan’s January factory output falls 7.5% month/month

JAPAN’S factory output fell 7.5 per cent in January from the previous month, compared with the median market forecast for a 7.3 per cent drop, government data showed on Thursday.

Manufacturers surveyed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry expect seasonally adjusted output to increase 4.8 per cent in February and rise 2.0 per cent in March.

Separate data showed Japanese retail sales rose 2.3 per cent in January from a year earlier, government data showed, marking a 23rd straight month of increase.

It was in line with the median market forecast for a 2.3 per cent rise. REUTERS