Japan Q3 GDP Revised Up To +0.6% On Quarter

Japan's gross domestic product was bumped up to a seasonally adjusted gin of 0.67 percent on quarter in the third quarter of 2017, the Cabinet Office said on Friday.

That exceeded expectations for a gain of 0.4 percent after the November 14 preliminary reading suggested a gain of 0.3 percent.

GDP was up 0.6 percent on quarter in the second quarter.

On a yearly basis, GDP was revised sharply higher to a gain of 2.5 percent – handily topping forecasts for a gain of 1.5 percent after showing 1.4 percent in the preliminary reading.

GDP was up 2.6 percent on year in Q2.

Nominal GDP was pushed up to 0.8 percent on quarter, beating forecasts for 0.7 percent and up from 0.6 percent in the preliminary reading. It was up 0.6 percent in the second quarter.

The GDP deflator was unrevised at 0.1 percent on year as expected, following the 0.4 percent decline in the second quarter.

Private consumption also was unchanged as expected, down 0.5 percent on quarter after rising 0.7 percent in the previous three months.

Business spending was revised up to 1.1 percent on quarter, beating expectations for 0.4 percent and up from the preliminary reading of 0.2 percent. It was up 0.5 percent in Q2.

The Japanese economy has now expanded in seven straight quarters, the first such streak in more than three years.

Also on Friday:
• The Bank of Japan said that overall bank lending in Japan was up 2.7 percent on year in November, coming in at 518.099 trillion yen.

That was below expectations for a gain of 2.8 percent, which would have been unchanged from the previous month.

Excluding trusts, bank lending also was up an annual 2.7 percent to 450.486 trillion yen – again missing forecasts for 2.8 percent, which would have been unchanged.

Lending from trusts was up 2.6 percent on year to 67.613 trillion yen, while lending from foreign banks tumbled an annual 7.7 percent to 2.245 trillion yen.

• The Ministry of Finance said that Japan posted a current account surplus of 2.176 trillion yen in October, up 40.7 percent on year.

The headline figure exceeded forecasts for a surplus of 1.730 trillion yen and was down from 2.271 trillion yen in September.

The trade balance showed a surplus of 430.2 billion yen – surpassing forecasts for a surplus of 418.1 billion yen and down from 852.2 billion yen in the previous month.

Exports were up 14.3 percent on year to 6.573 trillion yen, while imports jumped an annual 18.5 percent to 6.143 trillion yen.

The capital account showed a deficit of 17.1 billion yen, while the financial account came in at a shortfall of 853.2 billion yen.

by RTT Staff Writer

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