Japan’s GDP growth expected to be paltry

TOKYO: Japan´s economy is expected to have barely grown in the first quarter, a Reuters poll showed on Monday, as stagnant consumer spending and wobbly financial markets keep expectations for more government stimulus measures alive.

Gross domestic product (GDP) was seen to have expanded at an annualised rate of 0.2 percent in January-March, according to the poll of 19 analysts, after a 1.1 percent contraction in October-December.

That would translate into a quarterly expansion of 0.1 percent, the poll showed, following a 0.3 percent decline in the final quarter last year.