TOKYO (AFX-ASIA) - Industrial output in February rose 0.4 pct month-on-month after a fall of 4.2 pct in January, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said.
The ministry provided the following February month-on-month data, with comparative figures for January:
Output - up 0.4 pct vs 4.2 pct
Shipments - up 0.7 pct vs fall 3.7 pct
Inventories - up 0.7 pct vs rise 0.4 pct

It also gave the following month-on-month industrial output forecasts:
March - down 0.8 pct
April - up 0.6 pct

Last month, METI forecast industrial output would rise 2.7 pct in February and fall 1.4 pct in March.
An AFX survey of economists had forecast industrial output in February would come in at between a fall of 1.0 pct and a rise of 3.5 pct month-on-month, with consensus of a 1.9 pct rise.