TOKYO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Japan posted a current account surplus of 899.8 billion yen (9.9 billion U.S. dollars) in January, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) said in a preliminary report on Monday.
January's figures, which mark the 12th consecutive month the current account has stayed in the black, compare to a record deficit of 132.7 billion yen (1.46 billion U.S. dollars) posted the same month a year earlier, the ministry said.
The MOF indicated the significance of overseas shipments with on year exports climbing 40.6 percent. In addition imports rose by 7.1 percent in January from a year earlier.
According to economists, increased exports will lead to more capital expenditure which will further support the rebound and help buoy the world's second largest economy, which has shown signs of sustained expansion in the first quarter with factory output rising at the fastest pace since May and unemployment dropping to a 10-month low in January.
The current account balance tracks the flow of goods, services and investment income between Japan and its trading partners and provides and extensive measurement of trade.
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Japan's money stock rises 2.7% in February
TOKYO, March 8 (Xinhua) -- A key measure of the amount of money available in Japan rose by 2.7 percent in February compared to the same month a year earlier, statistics released by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) showed on Monday.
Money stock figures released by the BOJ showed that M2, a measure that combines cash currency in circulation and deposits throughout the nation, stood at 763.6 trillion yen (8.45 trillion dollars) in February. The measure is made using data from all banks in Japan and combines the amount of money held by corporations, individuals and local governments. In January, M2 stood at 766.8 trillion yen (8.48 trillion dollars) after figures were revised. Full story
