A huge beat for October - December 2017 economic growth data from Japan

GDP (seasonally adjusted) for Q4, final, q/q: 0.4%

  • expected 0.2%, preliminary was 0.1%, prior 0.6%

GDP Annualized (seasonally adjusted) for Q4, final y/y: 1.6%

  • expected 1.0%, preliminary was 0.5%, prior 2.2%

GDP Nominal (seasonally adjusted) for Q4, final q/q: 0.3%

  • expected 0.1%, preliminary 0.0%, prior 0.6%

GDP Deflator y/y for Q4, final: 0.1%

  • expected 0.0%, preliminary 0.0%, prior 0.0%
  • This is an inflation indicator ... and as you'd suspect, not anywhere near what the BOJ is targeting (2%). You'd likely also expect that such a result translates into continued easing from the Bank given the determination they say they have to hit that target.

GDP Consumer Spending (aka private Consumption) y/y for Q4, 0.5%

  • expected is 0.5%, preliminary 0.5%, prior -0.6%

GDP Business Spending y/y for Q4, 1.0% ... ahead of the preliminary figure but not by as much as expected

  • expected 1.3%, preliminary 0.7%, prior 1.0%

External demand contributed 0% to the result,

  • while domestic demand +0.4%

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For background on this check out the previews from earlier: