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Japan Supermarket Sales Decline In April





Japan's supermarket sales declined in April, data from the Chain Store Association showed Wednesday.


Supermarket sales dropped 1 percent year-on-year in April, reversing a 0.5 percent rise in March.


The annual drop was largely driven by clothing sales, which fell 7 percent. Meanwhile, services and household goods sales expanded from last year.


Before adjustment, sales grew 0.2 percent but slower than the 2 percent increase seen a month ago.


On a monthly basis, supermarket sales declined 1.6 percent in April.

Japan Manufacturing PMI Sinks Into Contraction - Nikkei





The manufacturing sector in Japan fell into contraction in May, the latest survey from Nikkei revealed on Thursday in its preliminary report - posting a manufacturing PMI score of 49.6.


That's down from 50.2 in April and it falls beneath the boom-or-bust line if 50 that separates expansion from contraction.


Individually, output and new orders fell for the fifth straight month, while the business outlook reflected pessimism for the first time more than six years.


New export orders, backlogs, stocks and quantities of purchases also were in contraction.


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China Industrial Profits Decline In April





China's industrial profits decreased in April, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Monday.


In April, profits of large industrial firms declined 3.7 percent on year in contrast to an increase of 13.9 percent growth in March.


Industrial profits fell 3.4 percent in the first four months of 2019 from the same period of last year compared to a decrease of 3.3 percent in three months to March.


Zhu Hong of the statistics bureau said the decline in profits in April was driven by the timing of Value Added Tax cut.


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Japan Producer Prices Rise 0.9% On Year In April





Producer prices in Japan were up 0.9 percent on year in April, the Bank of Japan said on Tuesday.


That was shy of expectations for an increase of 1.1 percent on year, which would have been unchanged from the March reading.


On a monthly basis, producer prices slipped 0.2 percent after advancing 0.7 percent a month earlier.


Individually, prices were up for leading and office space rental - while they were lower for transportation, employment agencies, software development, engineering, communications and advertising.


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UK Shop Price Inflation Accelerates In May





UK shop price inflation increased notably in May on non-food prices, the British Retail Consortium reported Wednesday. Shop prices inflation doubled to 0.8 percent in May from 0.4 percent in April.


Food prices climbed 1.8 percent annually and non-food prices gained 0.2 percent. Food inflation continued to slow but it remained above the 12-month average. At the same time, non-food categories such as furniture and health and beauty follow years of deep discounting.


Shop price growth in May was the second highest inflation rate seen in the last six years, though it remains well below headline inflation, Helen Dickinson, chief executive at BRC said.


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New Zealand 2019 Budget Lifts Spending





New Zealand government plans to raise spending over the forecast period and lowered its economic growth projection.


"In this first Wellbeing Budget our priorities are focused on tackling the long-term challenges facing New Zealand," Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in his budget speech on Thursday.


"The Government has delivered the critical investments needed to help address the long-term challenges facing New Zealand, while remaining in line with our self-imposed Budget Responsibility Rules," Robertson said.


The annual operating allowance in Budget 2019 was raised to NZ$3.8 billion from NZ$2.4 billion. The operating allowance for Budget 2020 has also increased to NZ$3.0 billion from NZ$2.4 billion.


The economy is forecast to grow at 2.6 percent on average over the next five years. Gross domestic product is expected to expand 3.2 percent next year from an estimated 2.1 percent this year. The projection for 2019 was lowered from 2.9 percent.


The budget forecast an operating surplus of NZ$3.5 billion for the year ending June. Government debt is expected to fall to 19.9 percent in 2022.


The unemployment currently at 4.2 percent is set to remain at around 4 percent across the forecast period, he said.


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China Manufacturing PMI Falls Into Contraction





The manufacturing sector in China turned to contraction in May, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Friday with a manufacturing PMI score of 49.4.


That was shy of expectations for 49.9 and down from 50.1 in April. It also fell below the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.


The non-manufacturing PMI came in at 54.3 - unchanged from the previous month and in line with expectations.


The composite index had a score of 53.3, down fractionally from 53.4 a month earlier.


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Myanmar Manufacturing Sector Accelerates In May - Nikkei





The manufacturing sector in Myanmar continued to contract in May, and at a faster rate, the latest survey from Nikkei revealed on Monday with a manufacturing PMI score of 54.2.


That's up from 53.7 in April, and it moves farther above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.


Individually, operating conditions improved at a solid rate, while there was faster growth in output and new orders. Employment expansion was the quickest in series history.


At the same time, input costs increased further in May, with the rate of inflation picking up to a six-month high


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South Korea Inflation Rises 0.2% In May





Consumer prices in South Korea were up 0.2 percent on month in May, Statistics Korea said on Tuesday - following the 0.2 percent decline in April.


On a yearly basis, inflation advanced 0.7 percent - accelerating from 0.4 percent in the previous month.


Core CPI - which excludes volatile food prices - sank 0.2 percent on month and added0.6 percent on year.


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New Zealand Q1 Volume Of Building Soars 6.2%





The overall volume of building in New Zealand climbed a seasonally adjusted 6.2 percent on quarter in the first three months of 2019, Statistics New Zealand said on Friday.


That beat forecasts for an increase of 1.1 percent and was up sharply from the upwardly revised 3.4 percent gain in the three months prior (originally 2.7 percent).


Non-residential building volume rose a seasonally adjusted 9.0 percent, the bureau said, while residential building volume rose a seasonally adjusted 4.3 percent.


The actual value of total building work was NZ$6.1 billion in the March 2019 quarter - up 16 percent from the March 2018 quarter.


By region, the actual value of total building work in the March 2019 quarter (compared with the March 2018 quarter) was: NZ$2.5 billion in Auckland - up 26 percent; NZ$595 million in Waikato - up 30 percent; NZ$474 million in Wellington - up 1.5 percent; NZ$950 million in rest of North Island - up 13 percent; NZ$931 million in Canterbury - down 1.0 percent; and NZ$618 million in rest of South Island - up 12 percent. In the year ended March 2019, the national value of residential building work rose NZ$1.1 billion (7.9 percent) when compared with the previous March year - driven by an NZ$861 million (16 percent) increase in Auckland.


In the year ended March 2019, the national value of non-residential building work rose NZ$923 million (12 percent) when compared with the previous year - driven by a NZ$672 million (25 percent) increase in Auckland.


The non-residential building types with most growth in the year ended March 2019 (compared with the March 2018 year) were: shops, restaurants, and bars (shops) - up NZ$337 million (41 percent) nationally; hotels, motels, boarding houses, and prisons (accommodation) - up NZ$248 million (40 percent) nationally; and storage buildings - up NZ$199 million (26 percent) nationally.




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