Japan Inflation Holds Firm in November as BOJ Nears Key Rate Hike Decision 
Chinese Robotaxi Stocks Rally as Tesla Boosts Autonomous Driving Optimism 
Asian Currencies Slip as Dollar Strengthens; Indian Rupee Rebounds on Intervention Hopes 
Japan Exports to U.S. Rebound in November as Tariff Impact Eases, Boosting BOJ Rate Hike Expectations 
Canada Signals Delay in US Tariff Deal as Talks Shift to USMCA Review 
New Zealand Business Confidence Hits 30-Year High as Economic Outlook Improves 
Trump Orders Blockade of Sanctioned Oil Tankers, Raising Venezuela Tensions and Oil Prices 
Gold Prices Fall Amid Rate Jitters; Copper Steady as China Stimulus Eyed 
U.S. Stocks End Week Higher as Tech Rally Offsets Consumer Weakness 
Kevin Hassett Says Inflation Is Below Target, Backs Trump’s Call for Rate Cuts 
EU Delays Mercosur Free Trade Agreement Signing Amid Ukraine War Funding Talks 
Yen Near Lows as Markets Await Bank of Japan Rate Decision, Euro Slips After ECB Signals Caution 
Mainland Norway’s GDP increased by 0.9 percent from Q3 to Q4 2018. Norges Bank projected 0.7 percent in its December-MPR. Consensus (Bloomberg) expected 0.8 percent; growth in Q3 was revised up from 0.3 percent to 0.4 percent.
Total GDP rose by 0.5 percent from Q3 to Q4. Mainland business gross product rose by 1.2 percent q/q, while public sector only rose by 0.4 percent. Electricity production rose by 2.7 percent in Q4, and Mainland businesses excluding electricity rose by 1.1 percent in Q4 after a rise by 0.2 percent in Q3, DNB Markets reported.
Private consumption rose by 0.4 percent from Q3 to Q4, mainly due to an increase in consumption of services. Public consumption rose by 0.1 percent. Gross investments fell by 0.8 percent q/q in Q4. Oil investments rose by 4.3 percent, while investments in mainland businesses fell by 1.8 percent. House investments rose by 0.1 percent.
Exports of traditional goods rose by 4.9 percent q/q in Q4 and total imports fell by 1.0 percent. Net exports added to growth by 0.5 percentage point. Mainland GDP rose by 2.2 percent from 2017 to 2018, but the growth rate was affected by a decline in the number of working days.
Seasonally adjusted figures, capturing the change in working days, showed a rise by 2.5 percent from 2017 to 2018. Employment rose by 1.5 percent from 2017 to 2018 and the productivity rose by 0.6 percent. Annual wage growth is calculated to 2.8 percent in 2018, while the central bank forecasted 2.7 percent.
