Overview
- Japan’s final December manufacturing PMI rose to 50.0 from 48.7, ending five months of deterioration.
- New orders fell at the slowest pace since May 2024 and firms continued hiring, pointing to tentative stabilization in output.
- Input costs for Japanese factories accelerated to the fastest since April, with the weaker yen lifting materials, labor and transport expenses.
- China’s private services PMI eased to 52.0, a six-month low, as new export business contracted due to fewer tourist arrivals, especially from Japan.
- Services companies in China cut jobs for a fifth month and trimmed selling prices despite rising input costs, though optimism for 2026 rose to a nine-month high.