APAC Flash PMIs: Diverging Japan And Australia Output Trajectory As Omicron Wave Evolves

Summary

• APAC economies Japan and Australia saw their paths diverge amid mixed COVID-19 Omicron developments.
• It was also observed that with the COVID-19 wave, the pressure upon prices shifted from input costs to output prices.
• Business sentiment amongst Japan and Australia private sector firms meanwhile remained broadly positive in February, but likewise diverged in trajectory.

Evgeniia Ozerkina/iStock via Getty Images

APAC economies Japan and Australia saw their paths diverge amid mixed COVID-19 Omicron developments. While Japan's COVID-19 cases continued to rise into early February, Australia had seen virus-related disruptions ease, leading to the latter's turnaround in private