Thu, 09/06/2011 - 09:31
Machinery orders, an indicator of future capital spending, unexpectedly increased in march, while companies plan to boost industrial production in may and june.
Sharp corp., Japan's largest maker of liquid-crystal displays, said on june 3 that operating profit may rise 23 percent this year as the company boosts earnings from lcd and solar panels. The company resumed operations at its two biggest lcd factories in japan on may 16 after suspending them due to a shortage of materials after the quake in march.
Consumer spending fell 0.6 Percent in the january-march period from the previous three months, unchanged from the initial estimate, today's report showed. Net exports, or shipments less imports, subtracted 0.2 Percentage point from gdp, also the same as the preliminary reading. From the previous quarter, the economy shrank 0.9 Percent in the first three months of 2011, todayÆs report showed. The gdp deflator, a gauge of price trends, fell 1.9 Percent in the first quarter from a year earlier, Today's report showed.
