MNI 5 THINGS: Tokyo Dec Core CPI +0.9% Y/Y; Energy, Food Slide

--Tokyo Dec Core-Core CPI +0.6% Y/Y; Nov +0.6%

--Tokyo Dec CPI Energy Costs +7.6% Y/Y; Nov +7.8%

--Tokyo Dec CPI Food Ex-Perishables +1.0% Y/Y; Nov +1.1%

--Tokyo Dec CPI Durable Goods -2.3% Y/Y; Nov +0.5%

     TOKYO (MNI) - Tokyo's annual consumer inflation rate, a leading indicator

of the national average, slowed in December to 0.9% y/y, with energy and

processed food prices sliding, data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and

Communications released Friday showed.

     The following are the key points from the latest Tokyo CPI data:

     --The Tokyo core consumer price index (excluding fresh food) rose 0.9% on

year in December, in line with the MNI median economist forecast. It was the

20th straight y/y rise since the 0.1% gain in May 2017.

     --Energy costs eased to 7.6% in December from 7.8% in November. Though

contributing a positive 0.38 percentage point to total Tokyo CPI in December,

the contribution was still 0.01 point lower than in November.

     --Tokyo saw processed food prices higher by 1.0% on year in December after

1.1% in November, dragging down the total CPI by 0.04 percentage point. 

     --The core CPI was supported by overseas tourism costs, which accelerated

to 15.2% y/y in the holiday season, after the 11.4% growth reported in November.

     --The core-core CPI (excluding fresh food and energy) -- a key indicator of

the underlying trend of inflation -- rose 0.6% on year in December in Tokyo,

unchanged from November.

--MNI Beijing Bureau; tel: +86 (10) 8532-5998; email: flora.guo@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

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