Bloomberg Japan’s economy coasted along with only slight improvements in January despite a rebound in corporate investment. Core inflation excluding volatile food prices rose 0.1 percent, mainly due to an uptick in energy prices, data showed. The unemployment rate in the world’s third-largest economy edged slightly lower, to 3.0 percent, and the number of jobs per applicant remained at …

  Bloomberg Australia’s economy expanded faster than forecast in the fourth quarter of 2016 as household savings fell to the lowest level in more than eight years as consumers opened their wallets. Gross domestic product rose as much as 1.1% from prior quarter; economists estimated 0.8% gain. Economy grew 2.4% from a year earlier, compared with a forecast 2% increase. …

  Bloomberg Australian Treasurer Scott Morrison said he’s still “very concerned” about the impact of record-low wage growth on the budget even after the economy rebounded strongly in the final three months of last year. The treasurer sought to play down the fiscal boost from 1.1 percent growth in the fourth quarter, telling Sky News only that “it’s consistent with …