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JAPAN PRODUCER PRICES JUMP 1.0% ON YEAR IN MARCH



Producer prices in Japan were up 1.0 percent on year in March, the Bank of Japan said on Monday - exceeding expectations for 0.5 percent following the upwardly revised 0.6 percent contraction in February (originally -0.7 percent).

On a monthly basis, producer prices jumped 0.8 percent - again exceeding expectations for 0.4 percent and up from 0.6 percent in the previous month.

Export prices were up 2.8 percent on month and 5.5 percent on year, the bank said, while import prices advanced 3.8 percent on month and 5.6 percent on year.

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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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CHINA MAINTAINS BENCHMARK LENDING RATES



China kept its benchmark lending rates unchanged, as widely expected, on Tuesday.

The one-year loan prime rate was retained at 3.85 percent and the five-year loan prime rate was maintained at 4.65 percent.

The one-year and five-year loan prime rates were last lowered in April 2020. The one-year loan prime rate was cut by 20 basis points and five-year rate by 10 basis points last April.

Markets have expected the rates to remain on hold today as the People's Bank of China had kept the rate on its medium-term lending facility unchanged early this month.

The loan prime rate is fixed monthly based on the submission of 18 banks, though Beijing has influence over the rate-setting. This new lending rate replaced the central bank's traditional benchmark lending rate in August 2019.

"Given that official efforts to rein in credit are being achieved by other means, we do not expect any changes to policy rates in the coming months," Julian Evans-Pritchard and Sheana Yue, economists at Capital Economics, said.

With the economy doing well, policymakers are now focused on tackling financial risks, they noted.

Even in the absence of rate hikes, tighter credit conditions will become an increasing headwind to economic activity over the coming quarters, the economists added.

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EUROPEAN ECONOMICS PREVIEW: UK CONSUMER PRICE DATA DUE



Consumer and producer prices from the UK are due on Wednesday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

At 2.00 am ET, the Office for National Statistics publishes UK consumer and producer price data. Consumer price inflation is forecast to double to 0.8 percent in March from 0.4 percent in February. UK output price inflation is seen at 1.7 percent in March versus 0.9 percent in the previous month. At the same time, input price inflation is expected to climb to 4.4 percent from 2.6 percent.

At 4.00 am ET, industrial production, producer prices and corporate wage figures are due from Poland. Industrial production is forecast to jump 13.1 percent on year, following a 2.7 percent rise in February. Producer price inflation is expected to advance to 3.5 percent from 2 percent.

At 4.30 am ET, the ONS is set to release UK house price data.

At 6.30 am ET, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey gives a keynote speech at a virtual event.

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EUROPEAN ECONOMICS PREVIEW: ECB MONETARY POLICY DECISION DUE



The monetary policy announcement from the European Central Bank is due on Thursday, headlining a light day for the European economic news.

The bank is expected to keep its policy rates and stimulus package unchanged at the rate-setting meeting of the year. The announcement is due at 7.45 am ET.

ECB President Christine Lagarde is set to hold the customary press conference at 8.30 am ET. At 2.45 am ET, the French statistical office Insee publishes business confidence survey results for April. The business confidence index is forecast to rise marginally to 99 from 98 in March.

At 3.00 am ET, consumer confidence survey data is due from Turkey.

At 4.00 am ET, Italy's Istat publishes industrial orders and turnover data for February. Sales had increased 2.5 percent on month in January.

At 6.00 am ET, the Confederation of British Industry releases Industrial Trends survey data. The order book balance is forecast to rise to 2 percent in April from -5 percent in March.

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MALAYSIA INFLATION RISES IN MARCH



Malaysia's consumer prices increased in March, data from the Department of Statistics showed on Friday.

The consumer price index grew 1.7 percent year-on-year in March, following a 0.1 percent rise in February. Economists had expected a 1.4 percent rise.

The annual growth was largely driven by the rise in prices of transport by 9.8 percent. Prices for food and non-alcoholic beverages gained 1.5 percent.

Prices for miscellaneous goods and services increased 1.0 percent and alcoholic beverages and tobacco rose by 0.6 percent.

Prices for furnishings household equipment and routine household maintenance grew 0.9 percent. Prices for health, and recreation services and culture increased 0.5 percent, each.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.3 percent in March.

The core inflation was 0.7 percent in March.

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