Singapore's total retail sales rose 5.4% year over year to SG$4.3 billion in April, the Statistics Department said in a Friday release.
The growth was higher than the 4.6% increase in March.
Excluding motor vehicles, parts, and accessories, retail sales jumped 4.5% year over year to SG$3.6 billion.
Japan's leading economic index rose to 115.9 in April from 115.4 a month earlier, according to government data released Friday.The coincident index increased to 117.9 from 116.8 in the previous month.The leading index reflects the outlook for the months ahead, based on indicators such as job offers and consumer sentiment, while the coincident index tracks current economic activity, including factory output, employment, and retail sales.
India's central bank on Friday maintained the country's cash reserve ratio at 3%.The Reserve Bank of India has held the rate steady since December 2025, and analysts did not expect a change to the ratio during its recent meeting, according to a consensus from Investing.com.
Chinese car exports to Australia reached nearly 36,000 units in April, overtaking Japan's 29,000 deliveries, Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing government data.The number drove Chinese car deliveries to Australia in the first four months of 2026 to above 100,000, 51% higher compared with the year-ago period, the report said.Imports from BYD (HKG:1211, SHE:002594) helped lift Chinese car imports, according to the report.Electric vehicles and hybrids comprised nearly 46% of new car sales across all sources in May, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries said Wednesday.(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)