> International
TABLE-Recent Australian economic statistics
Reuters: [2008-05-15 00:00:00]
SYDNEY, May 15 (Reuters) - Table of the latest Australian
economic data.
Period Latest Prev1 Prev2 Next
Westpac/Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment
Index level Apr 87.4 88.6 97.4 May 20
Pct change(m/m) Apr -1.3 -9.1 -8.3
Average Weekly Ordinary Time Earnings (s/adj, pct)
All sectors (q/q) Nov qtr +0.6 +1.1 +1.7 May 15
All sectors (y/y) Nov qtr +4.7 +4.9 +4.6
New Motor Vehicle Sales (pct)
Total (s/adj, m/m) Mar +1.0 +0.6 +1.1 May 21
Total (trend, m/m) Mar -0.1 +0.9 +0.8
Construction Work Done (s/adj, chain volume measure of value)
Total (q/q) Q4 -1.0 +2.2 -1.8 May 28
Total (y/y) Q4 +2.6 +8.9 +3.0
Private New Capital Expenditure (s/adj, constant prices)
Total Q4 +5.1 -6.2 +7.0 May 29
Total (y/y) Q4 +15.3 +9.0 +11.8
Private Sector Credit
Credit (m/m, s/adj) Feb +0.8 +0.6 +1.0 May 30
Credit (y/y, s/adj) Feb +14.9 +15.4 +16.2
Retail Trade (current prices)
Total (s/adj, m/m) Mar +0.5 -0.1 0.0 June 2
Total (s/adj, y/y) Mar +5.1 +5.8 +6.9
Total (trend, m/m) Mar +0.2 +0.2 +0.2
Company Gross Operating Profits
S/adj (q/q) Q4 +3.9 -1.4 +2.0 June 2
S/adj (y/y) Q4 +11.7 +8.4 +11.2
Business Inventories (volume measure, pct, s/adj)
Total (q/q pct) Q4 +0.7 +1.3 +0.4 June 2
Total (y/y pct) Q4 +3.9 +3.5 +1.0
Balance of Payments (s/adj, A$ billions)
Current Account Q4 -19.35 -16.352 -15.78 June 3
Goods, Services Q4 -6.86 -4.79 -3.85
Building Approvals (Total dwelling units)
(s/adj, m/m pct) Mar -5.7 -0.8 -2.8 June 3
(s/adj, y/y pct) Mar -0.7 +0.5 +7.5
(trend, m/m pct) Mar -2.1 -1.9 -1.6
International Investment Position (A$ billions)
Net foreign debt Q4 609.95 585.76 548.24 June 3
Net foreign equity Q4 126.87 97.81 105.20
Gross Domestic Product (s/adj, chain volume, percent)
GDP (q/q) Q4 +0.6 +1.1 +0.9 June 4
GDP (y/y) Q4 +3.9 +4.3 +4.3
Balance on Goods and Services (s/adj, A$ mln current prices)
G&S Balance Mar -2736 -3261 -2227 June 5
Goods Balance Mar -2844 -3380 -2479
Services Balance Mar +109 +119 +52
Exports (m/m pct) Mar +4.0 -4.0 +2.0
Imports (m/m pct) Mar +1.0 +1.0 +5.0
ANZ newspaper & internet job advertisements
(s/adj, m/m pct) April +3.1 -0.7 -2.1 June 10
Housing finance for owner occupation (pct)
Total (s/adj, m/m) Mar -6.1 +6.8 +3.8 June 10
Labour Force (s/adj)
Employment (000) Apr +25.4 +18.2 +39.1 June 12
- full time (000) Apr +19.0 + 5.5 +47.9
- part time (000) Apr +6.3 +12.6 -8.7
Unemployment (pct) Apr 4.2 4.1 4.0
Participation rate Apr 65.4 65.3 65.2
Dwelling Unit Commencements (s/adj, pct)
Total (q/q) Q4 +2.6 +1.3 -2.5 June 17
Total (y/y) Q4 +2.6 -0.8 -3.4
International Trade Price Indices
Imports (q/q) Q1 +2.2 -2.2 -5.5 Jul 18
Exports (q/q) Q1 +0.1 -3.2 -2.5
Producer Price Index (Final stage of production)
Final goods (q/q) Q1 +1.9 +0.6 +1.1 Jul 21
(y/y) Q1 +4.8 +2.3 +2.4
Consumer Price Index (pct)
CPI (q/q) Q1 +1.3 +0.9 +0.7 Jul 23
CPI (y/y) Q1 +4.2 +3.0 +1.9
Mkt sector G/S(q/q) Q1 +0.8 +1.1 +0.8
Mkt sector G/S(y/y) Q1 +3.5 +3.0 +2.5
RBA trimmed (q/q) Q1 +1.2 +1.0 +0.9
RBA trimmed (y/y) Q1 +4.1 +3.4 +2.9
RBA weighted (q/q) Q1 +1.3 +1.1 +1.0
RBA weighted (y/y) Q1 +4.4 +3.8 +3.2
House Price Index, weighted average of main cities
National (q/q) Q1 +1.1 +4.1 +3.7 Aug 4
National (y/y) Q1 +13.8 +13.8 +11.4
Wage Price Index (s/adj, pct)
All sectors (q/q) Q1 +0.9 +1.1 +1.0 Aug 13
All sectors (y/y) Q1 +4.1 +4.2 +4.2
((Sydney newsroom, sydney.newsroom@reuters.com, tel:
+61-2-9363-1816))
Keywords: AUSTRALIA STATISTICS/DAILY
RPT-POLL-Japan growth likely slowed to 0.6 pct in Jan-March
Reuters: [2008-05-15 00:00:00]
(Repeats Friday story)
*What: Japan's January-March gross domestic product data
*When: 8:50 a.m., May 16 (2350 GMT, May 15)
*Growth forecast at 0.6 percent Q/Q vs 0.9 percent Q/Q in October-December
TOKYO, May 9 (Reuters) - Japanese economic growth likely slowed to 0.6 percent in the first quarter, a Reuters poll found on Friday, and analysts said the second quarter might bring a further slide in growth as a U.S. slowdown hits exports.
A weaker first-quarter expansion, at an annualised rate of 2.5 percent, would be due to a fall in capital spending, although relatively firm consumption and exports helped to keep the world's second-largest economy running above its potential.
"We will be able to confirm with the January-March data that economic activity remained firm at least until the first quarter, although the downside risk is high for the April-June quarter," said Yoshiki Shinke, a senior economist at Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute.
In January-March, corporate capital spending will likely log its first fall in three quarters, although housing investment is expected to have recovered somewhat from a slump caused by changes in building codes, which led to congestion in construction approvals last year.
"Capital investment in the manufacturing sector is likely to show a large decline in light of growing uncertainty in the outlook for the U.S. and European economies as well as falling profitability due to surging raw material costs," said Hideki Matsumura, senior economist at Japan Research Institute.
The relatively strong growth expected for Japan in the first quarter contrasts with that forecast for the United States, which has been suffering the fallout of the subprime mortgage debacle since last year.
The U.S. economy grew at an annual rate of 0.6 percent in the first quarter. Although that matched the preceding quarter and topped a forecast of 0.2 percent, many analysts say fears of a recession remain.
Shinke said Japan's exports have been stronger than expected as robust shipments of goods to emerging economies made up for lacklustre demand in the United States.
Although Japan's trade surplus in March marked the smallest year-on-year increase in three years partly due to a sharp rise in import bills as oil prices surged, exports in the financial year that ended on March 31 rose 9.9 percent, marking the sixth straight year of growth.
External demand is predicted to have boosted first-quarter growth by 0.5 percentage point, the Reuters poll of 36 analysts found.
The median forecast in the poll for GDP growth was unchanged from a smaller survey of 17 economists conducted last week. [ID:nT26424]
The analysts forecast private consumption, which accounts for more than half of economic activity, grew 0.6 percent in January-March, picking up from 0.2 percent in October-December and matching the biggest growth since the first quarter of 2007.
Many analysts said, however, that private consumption may be inflated as the data is not adjusted to account for the extra day in February in leap years.
Japan's economy grew a robust 0.9 percent, or an annualised 3.5 percent, in the October-December quarter, helped by firm exports and corporate capital investment.
Following are forecasts in percentages for preliminary GDP data for January-March, including the headline growth rate in price-adjusted real terms, private consumption and other components.
JAN-MAR GDP ANNUALISED CONSUMPTION HOUSING ---------------------------------------------------------------- Mitsubishi UFJ Sec 0.2 0.8 0.4 -0.1 UBS 0.4 1.6 0.3 0.0 Norinchukin Research 0.5 1.9 0.3 1.5 Daiwa SMBC 0.5 1.9 0.5 -3.8 Merrill Lynch 0.5 2.0 0.3 5.0 Japan Research 0.5 2.1 0.3 2.2 Mitsui Sumitomo AM 0.5 2.1 0.6 3.0 Deutsche Securities 0.5 2.1 0.5 5.6 Calyon 0.5 2.1 0.3 0.8 Mitsubishi UFJ Bank 0.5 2.1 0.7 2.2 JP Morgan 0.5 2.2 0.5 2.4 Mitsubishi Research 0.6 2.3 0.5 -0.9 Goldman Sachs 0.6 2.3 0.6 4.6 Barclays Capital 0.6 2.4 0.6 5.0 Daiwa SB Investments 0.6 2.5 0.6 -0.8 BNP Paribas 0.6 2.5 0.8 8.4 Mizuho Securities 0.6 2.5 n/a n/a
Lehman Brothers 0.6 2.5 2.4 14.8 BNP Paribas 0.6 2.5 0.8 8.4 Mitsubishi Securities 0.6 2.6 0.6 2.8 HSBC Securities 0.6 2.6 0.5 3.0 RBS 0.7 2.6 0.7 1.8 Daiwa Research 0.7 2.8 0.6 1.7 Credit Suisse 0.7 2.8 0.5 2.0 Nomura Securities 0.7 2.8 0.3 6.0 Nikko Citigroup 0.7 2.8 0.5 4.8 Informa Global Markets 0.7 2.9 0.6 5.0 ABN Amro 0.7 2.9 0.5 0.5 Dai-ichi Life Research 0.8 3.1 0.6 3.4 Shinkin Central Bank 0.8 3.1 0.5 4.6 Meiji-Yasuda 0.8 3.1 0.4 5.8 Morgan Stanley 0.8 3.2 0.6 3.9 Mizuho Research 0.8 3.3 0.7 6.4 Mitsubishi UFJ Research 0.8 3.4 0.6 0.8 NLI Research 0.9 3.8 0.6 4.4 Shinko Research 0.9 3.8 0.6 4.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Median 0.6 2.5 0.6 3.0 High 0.9 3.8 2.4 14.8 Low 0.2 0.8 0.3 -3.8
CAPEX EXTERNAL DEMAND* DEFLATOR --------------------------------------------------------------- Mitsubishi UFJ Sec -0.8 0.2 -1.4 UBS -0.9 0.4 -1.5 Norinchukin Research -0.8 0.5 -1.2 Daiwa SMBC -0.5 0.4 -1.5 Merrill Lynch -2.5 0.5 -2.1 Japan Research -2.2 0.7 -2.0 Mitsui Sumitomo AM -1.3 0.3 -1.2 Deutsche Securities 0.2 0.3 -0.7 Calyon 0.1 0.3 -1.2 Mitsubishi UFJ Bank -0.5 0.3 -1.4 JP Morgan -1.8 0.4 -0.5 Mitsubishi Research -1.0 0.4 -1.6 Goldman Sachs -0.8 0.4 -1.2 Barclays Capital -1.6 0.4 -0.5 Daiwa SB Investments -1.4 0.6 -1.7 BNP Paribas -2.1 0.5 -1.4 Mizuho Securities n/a n/a n/a Lehman Brothers -3.9 2.0 -1.6 BNP Paribas -2.1 0.5 -1.4 Mitsubishi UFJ Sec -1.4 0.5 -1.4 HSBC Securities -0.8 0.5 -1.4 RBS -1.5 0.4 -1.4 Daiwa Research -0.2 0.5 -1.5 Credit Suisse 0.0 0.5 -1.4 Nomura Securities -1.4 0.5 -1.2 Nikko Citigroup -1.0 0.4 -1.5 Informa Global Markets -1.1 0.4 -1.5 ABN Amro -1.2 0.5 -1.8 Dai-ichi Life Research -0.7 0.5 -1.5 Shinkin Central Bank -0.2 0.4 -1.4 Meiji-Yasuda -0.7 0.4 -1.6 Morgan Stanley -1.4 0.6 -1.5 Mizuho Research -1.0 0.4 -1.5 UFJ Research -1.5 0.6 -1.7 NLI Research 0.3 0.5 -1.6 Shinko Research -0.6 0.6 -1.5 --------------------------------------------------------------- Median -1.0 0.5 -1.5 High 0.3 2.0 -0.5 Low -3.9 0.2 -2.1
*percentage point of contribution to the overall growth rate. (Reporting by Shigeo Kodama, Akiko Takeda and Yuzo Saeki; Editing by Hugh Lawson) ((yuzo.saeki@thomsonreuters.com; +81 3 6441-1831; Reuters Messaging: yuzo.saeki.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: JAPAN ECONOMY/GDP POLL
UPDATE 2-U.S. says will speed military help to Lebanon
Reuters: [2008-05-14 23:54:00]
(Adds more details on Dempsey visit, paragraphs 8-9)
WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - The United States plans to speed assistance to Lebanon's army but has no plans to increase current military aid to respond to the latest crisis, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.
"I know there are a number of things in the pipeline for them and my understanding is that we will be trying to move some of those things through the pipeline in an expedited fashion," said State Department spokesman Tom Casey, who provided no further details.
"There is no new aid, or no new aid program for the Lebanese military. What we have is an ongoing program," Casey told reporters.
Since mid-2006, the United States has given Lebanon about $1.3 billion in assistance, of which State Department officials said about $400 million was military aid.
"We have an ongoing military assistance program for Lebanon and that is something that has been active over the past couple of years and has been designed to help the Lebanese military to provide security for the entirety of the country," said Casey.
"We intend to give them the kind of help they need to carry out their mission," he added.
Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, head of the U.S. military's Central Command which is responsible for the Middle East, visited Lebanon on Wednesday and met army commander Lt. Gen. Michel Sleiman and Defense Minister Elias Murr.
"The discussions focused on the continued assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces so it can maintain peace and stability, and safeguard the Lebanese people," the U.S. embassy in Lebanon said in a statement.
Last May, the United States sent ammunition to Lebanon as its army struggled to defeat a group of heavily armed Islamist militants inside a Palestinian refugee camp. (Reporting by Sue Pleming and Andrew Gray, editing by David Alexander and Alan Elsner)
((sue.pleming@reuters.com; 202 898 8393, Reuters Messaging: sue.pleming.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: LEBANON USA/MILITARY
UPDATE 2-U.S. says will speed military help to Lebanon
Reuters: [2008-05-14 23:54:00]
(Adds more details on Dempsey visit, paragraphs 8-9)
WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - The United States plans to speed assistance to Lebanon's army but has no plans to increase current military aid to respond to the latest crisis, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.
"I know there are a number of things in the pipeline for them and my understanding is that we will be trying to move some of those things through the pipeline in an expedited fashion," said State Department spokesman Tom Casey, who provided no further details.
"There is no new aid, or no new aid program for the Lebanese military. What we have is an ongoing program," Casey told reporters.
Since mid-2006, the United States has given Lebanon about $1.3 billion in assistance, of which State Department officials said about $400 million was military aid.
"We have an ongoing military assistance program for Lebanon and that is something that has been active over the past couple of years and has been designed to help the Lebanese military to provide security for the entirety of the country," said Casey.
"We intend to give them the kind of help they need to carry out their mission," he added.
Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, head of the U.S. military's Central Command which is responsible for the Middle East, visited Lebanon on Wednesday and met army commander Lt. Gen. Michel Sleiman and Defense Minister Elias Murr.
"The discussions focused on the continued assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces so it can maintain peace and stability, and safeguard the Lebanese people," the U.S. embassy in Lebanon said in a statement.
Last May, the United States sent ammunition to Lebanon as its army struggled to defeat a group of heavily armed Islamist militants inside a Palestinian refugee camp. (Reporting by Sue Pleming and Andrew Gray, editing by David Alexander and Alan Elsner)
((sue.pleming@reuters.com; 202 898 8393, Reuters Messaging: sue.pleming.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: LEBANON USA/MILITARY
UPDATE 2-U.S. says will speed military help to Lebanon
Reuters: [2008-05-14 23:54:00]
(Adds more details on Dempsey visit, paragraphs 8-9)
WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - The United States plans to speed assistance to Lebanon's army but has no plans to increase current military aid to respond to the latest crisis, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.
"I know there are a number of things in the pipeline for them and my understanding is that we will be trying to move some of those things through the pipeline in an expedited fashion," said State Department spokesman Tom Casey, who provided no further details.
"There is no new aid, or no new aid program for the Lebanese military. What we have is an ongoing program," Casey told reporters.
Since mid-2006, the United States has given Lebanon about $1.3 billion in assistance, of which State Department officials said about $400 million was military aid.
"We have an ongoing military assistance program for Lebanon and that is something that has been active over the past couple of years and has been designed to help the Lebanese military to provide security for the entirety of the country," said Casey.
"We intend to give them the kind of help they need to carry out their mission," he added.
Army Lt. Gen. Martin Dempsey, head of the U.S. military's Central Command which is responsible for the Middle East, visited Lebanon on Wednesday and met army commander Lt. Gen. Michel Sleiman and Defense Minister Elias Murr.
"The discussions focused on the continued assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces so it can maintain peace and stability, and safeguard the Lebanese people," the U.S. embassy in Lebanon said in a statement.
Last May, the United States sent ammunition to Lebanon as its army struggled to defeat a group of heavily armed Islamist militants inside a Palestinian refugee camp. (Reporting by Sue Pleming and Andrew Gray, editing by David Alexander and Alan Elsner)
((sue.pleming@reuters.com; 202 898 8393, Reuters Messaging: sue.pleming.reuters.com@reuters.net)) Keywords: LEBANON USA/MILITARY
Next: UPDATE 2-U.S. says will speed military help to Lebanon