Japan service PMI to see a modest improvement in April

Japan small business confidence is a reasonable guide to movements in the service PMI (02.35 BST). Despite a fall in April, the current level of small business confidence points to a modest improvement in the service PMI in April.

Capital Economics has pencilled in a rise from 48.4 in March to 49.0 in April. 

But the service PMI is a less reliable indicator of economic activity than the manufacturing PMI, so Capital Economics says would not read too much into it, whatever the outturn.