Retail in Asia

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Singapore GDP likely slowed in 2Q, possible contraction

Singapore’s economy probably slowed and may even have contracted sequentially during the second quarter of 2012 amid lacklustre performance by manufacturers and weakness in the financial sector.

According to a Reuters poll of 11 economists, advance estimates this Friday will likely show Singapore’s GDP grew by just 0.3 percent in April-June on a quarter-on-quarter, seasonally adjusted and annualised rate, slowing sharply from the first quarter’s 10 percent pace.

Five of the 11 economists who provided quarter-on-quarter gross domestic product estimates predicted a sequential contraction in the second quarter.