Index of business activity in the manufacturing sector of China by Caixin in February was 48, unchanged from last month, although it was expected to increase to 48.3. The index below 50 means a reduction in activity.
Earlier it was reported that China's semi-official index of business activity in the manufacturing sector fell in February to 49, the lowest level since November 2011, from 49.4 last month, despite the fact that there was expected a modest decline to 49.3, while the index of business activity in the services sector amounted to 52.7 against the expected 53.5.
China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing, which calculates these indexes, said that the volume of new orders and purchases fell sharply in February because of the week-long celebration of the Chinese New Year.
CFLP also noted the increase of the index component which measures the mood of entrepreneurs, from 44.4 in January to 57.9 in February. This change indicates the confidence of Chinese companies in the economy's prospects.
In Japan, household spending in January fell by 3.1% year on year, although it was expected a drop of 2.7%.
The unemployment rate fell to 3.1% in January from 3.3%, while the volume of investments increased by 8.5% in the fourth quarter despite the expected increase by 8.8%.
Index of business activity in the industrial sector fell slightly, from 50.2 to 50.1, despite the expected no change.
In Australia, the index of business activity in the industrial sector from AIG rose in February from 51.5 to 53.5.
The number of building permits decreased by 7.5% on a monthly basis, although there was expected a decline by 2%. The current account deficit of payment balance in the fourth quarter amounted A$ 21.1 billion, which is A$ 1.1 billion more than expected, and the number of permits for the construction of private homes fell 6%.
The Australian dollar fell after the Reserve Bank of Australia, as expected, decided to leave interest rates at a record low of 2%, and the low index of activity in China, a key trading partner of Australia, struck the sentiment.
AUD/USD was traded at 0.7127, down 0.21%, while the USD/JPY slipped by 0.26% to 112.38.
In New Zealand, the terms of trade index in the fourth quarter fell 2.0% after falling 3.7% the previous quarter.