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[IFX Gertrude]

UK Consumer Confidence Index Rebounds In August



An index measuring consumer confidence in the United Kingdom climbed back into positive territory in August with a score of +1, GfK said on Friday. That beat expectations for a score of -1 following the -2 reading in July. The August reading matched the nine-year high mark in June. "There is no guarantee how long this stable position will last - a rush of good or bad economic news could set off a marked rise or fall, but things could stay like this for a while," said Nick Moon, managing director of social research at GfK.

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[IFX Gertrude]

Taiwan Aug Manufacturing PMI Rises At Fastest Rate Since 2011



Taiwan's manufacturing activity grew at the fastest pace in more than three years in August, results of a survey by Markit Economics and HSBC Bank showed Monday. The HSBC Purchasing Managers' Index for the manufacturing sector rose to 56.1 in August from 55.8 in July. This marked the fastest rate of improvement in manufacturing activity since April 2011. A reading above 50 signals expansion in activity. New orders increased at the fastest pace since the start of 2011 in August. The increase in new work supported the sharp rise in manufacturing production, though the rate of increase was slightly slower than in the previous month. This marked the twelfth consecutive month of growth in production. Also, staffing levels improved for the fifteenth straight month in August. The rate of increase was little changed from the 39-month high recorded in July. Input costs inflation eased in August from July's peak. Meanwhile, output prices fell for the seventh consecutive month.

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[IFX Gertrude]

Japan July Labor Cash Earnings Growth Quickens Unexpectedly



Total labor cash earnings in Japan grew at a faster rate in July, defying expectations of a slow down, a report from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare showed Tuesday. Total earnings increased 2.6 percent year-over-year in July following the revised 1 percent rise in June. Economists had expected earnings to grow 0.9 percent. Contractual earnings climbed 0.9 percent, after the 0.4 percent increase in June. Scheduled earnings rose 0.7 percent in July, which was faster than the revised 0.2 percent growth in the previous month.

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[IFX Gertrude]

New Zealand Building Value Gains 1.0% In Q2



The value of all building in New Zealand added a seasonally adjusted 1.0 percent on quarter in the second quarter of 2014, Statistics New Zealand said on Wednesday. The unadjusted value of all building activity in Q2 was NZ$3.8 billion, including NZ$2.3 billion residential building work, and NZ$1.4 billion non-residential building work. The headline figure beat expectations for a flat reading on quarter following the downwardly revised 15.0 percent surge in the first quarter (originally 16.0 percent). Non-residential building activity volume climbed a seasonally adjusted 2.5 percent, while residential building activity was unchanged from last quarter. "The trend for all building activity has been generally rising for nearly three years, and is just 0.7 percent lower than the series high in the June 2005 quarter," said business indicators manager Neil Kelly. On a yearly basis, building activity grew most in Auckland and Canterbury regions this quarter. The non-residential buildings volume trend is now 19 percent higher than the most recent low point in the September 2013 quarter, the bureau said, and is just 1.3 percent lower than the series high eight years ago in the March 2006 quarter. Growth continues in the residential building volume trend; however, it is still 7.0 percent lower than the series high in the June 2004 quarter. The all buildings volume trend has been generally rising for 11 quarters, and is now just 0.7 percent lower than the series high in the June 2005 quarter.

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[IFX Gertrude]

South Korea GDP Expands 3.5% In Q2



South Korea's gross domestic product expanded 3.5 percent on year in the second quarter of 2014, the Bank of Korea said in Thursday's preliminary reading. That was a slight downward revision from July's advance estimate which suggested an increase of 3.6 percent. It also slowed from the 3.9 percent gain in the first quarter. On a seasonally adjusted annualized quarterly basis, GDP expanded 0.5 percent - also a downward revision from the 0.6 percent increase originally reported. GDP was up 0.9 percent on quarter in Q1.

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[IFX Gertrude]

Construction Sector Expands Again In August - AiG



The construction sector in Australia expanded at an accelerated pace in August, the latest survey from the Australia Industry Group revealed on Friday with a performance of construction index score of 55.0. That touches a nine-month high for the index, which came in at 52.6 in July. A reading above 50 signals expansion in a sector, while a score below means contraction. Among the individual components of the survey, apartment building, house building and commercial construction all continued to expand, while engineering construction remained in contraction.

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[IFX Gertrude]

New Zealand Q2 Manufacturing Activity Slows



The total volume of sales for manufacturing activity dropped a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent in the second quarter of 2014 compared to9 the previous three months, Statistics New Zealand said on Monday - following the 0.5 percent gain in Q1. Excluding meat and dairy product manufacturing, sales were up 0.1 percent on quarter. Meat and dairy product manufacturing fell 1.4 percent. "Meat and dairy manufacturing sales have edged down in the last two quarters following a large rise in the December 2013 quarter," business indicators manager Neil Kelly said. Among the other components of the data, sales for chemical, polymer, and rubber product manufacturing fell 3.0 percent, while sales for petroleum and coal product manufacturing advanced 2.4 percent. By value, total manufacturing tumbled 1.9 percent on quarter, or NZ$481 million. Excluding meat and dairy product manufacturing, sales eased 0.2 percent. Meat and dairy product manufacturing dropped 5.7 percent, or NZ$485 million. The trend for the total manufacturing sales volume, which gives a longer-term picture of movements, has flattened after recent rises, the bureau said.

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[IFX Gertrude]

New Zealand August Retail Credit Card Spending +0.5%



Retail credit card spending in New Zealand added a seasonally adjusted 0.5 percent on month in August, Statistics New Zealand said on Tuesday. That missed forecasts for an increase of 0.6 percent following the upwardly revised 0.1 percent gain in July (originally flat). Total credit card spending was up 0.3 percent on month following the 0.2 percent decline in the previous month.

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[IFX Gertrude]

Japan Corporate Goods Prices Ease 0.2%



An index measuring domestic corporate goods prices in Japan was down a seasonally adjusted 0.2 percent on month in August, the Bank of Japan said on Wednesday. That missed forecasts for a flat reading following the upwardly revised 0.4 percent increase in July (originally 0.3 percent). On a yearly basis, corporate goods prices were up 3.9 percent - also shy of expectations for a gain of 4.1 percent following the 4.3 percent increase in the previous month.

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[IFX Gertrude]

UK House Price Balance Tumbles In August - RICS



The house price balance in the United Kingdom fell all the way to 40 percent in August, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said on Thursday. That was well shy of forecasts for 47 percent and down sharply from the downwardly revised 48 percent in July (originally 49 percent). In the London area, house prices were higher for a balance of nine percent of agents - slowing from 11 percent in the previous month. "Some of the momentum has come out of the housing market of late reflecting in part concerns over a likely rise in the cost of borrowing at some point in the not too distant future," said Simon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist.

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