STOCK MARKET WATCH - Friday, 17 February 2012

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52. Economy showing feeble signs of revival {japan}

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120217a3.html

The economy is "picking up" along with private consumption and public spending, the government repeated Thursday in its monthly report on the state of the economy.

In its February report, the Cabinet Office reiterated that production is recovering slowly from the slowdown caused by Thailand's floods and that exports are still weakening as global economic prospects remain gloomy because of the eurozone debt crisis.

The report follow's Monday's dismal report on gross domestic product, which fell at a real annualized rate of 2.3 percent in the final quarter of 2011, exceeding market forecasts, and the Bank of Japan's announcement Tuesday that additional monetary easing was in the works to battle persistent deflation.

"The Japanese economy is still picking up slowly, while difficulties continue to prevail" from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, the Cabinet Office said, repeating the main assessment for the fourth consecutive month.