Japan’s industrial output falls for first time in six months

Bloomberg offers more details into the Japanese industrial production figures released earlier on the day.

Key Points:

Industrial production fell 0.8 percent in January from a month earlier (forecast +0.4 percent).

Output is forecast to rise 3.5 percent in February and drop 5 percent in March.

Retail sales rose 0.5 percent from a month ago (forecast +0.3 percent).

The unexpected weakness in industrial output indicate a risk to sustaining recent economic growth

Although domestic consumption has been weak in Japan, net exports added to growth in the second half of 2016, and shipments rose in January for a second straight month