Japan's economy likely shrank in the final three months of last year, contracting for the fourth quarter in the past five as the effects of the strong yen, weak overseas demand and flooding in Thailand put the brakes on a nascent recovery.
The figures, to be released Monday, are expected to show real gross domestic product shrank 1.6% on an annualized basis in the three months ended Dec. 31, according to the median forecast of 10 economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires. The most pessimistic forecast said GDP contracted 2.1%, while the most optimistic predicted the economy shrank 0.6%. (MarketWatch)
↧