JAPAN DATA: Real average household spending is expected to have
declined 0.6% on year in December, showing the third consecutive y/y
drop, following -0.4% in both October and November, due mainly to
plunges in spending on consumer electronics as well as automobiles,
according to the median forecast of analysts surveyed by Market News
International. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications will
release the data at 0830 JST today (2330 GMT Thursday).