Japan data – January exports and imports improve y/y, December machine orders improve y/y

more to come

While Japan’s December core machinery orders improved y/y there are a few caveats to note:

• the y/y at +4.3% was a miss on the consensus estimate of +6.9%
• the -1.2% m/m was a miss on the estimate also

Admittedly this is a volatile data series.

Its regarded as a leading indicator of capital spending in the coming six to nine months.

more to come

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at www.forexlive.com.