2020.02.2723:11:00UTC+00Japan Industrial Production Jumps 0.8% In January

Industrial output in Japan was up a seasonally adjusted 0.8 percent on month in January, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in Friday's preliminary reading.

That beat forecasts for an increase of 0.2 percent following the 1.2 percent gain in December.

On an annual basis, industrial production sank 2.5 percent - but that also exceeded expectations for a decline of 3.1 percent, which would have been unchanged from the previous month.

Upon the release of the data, the METI downgraded its assessment of industrial production, saying that it fluctuates indecisively but has weakened.