China's Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.2% after news that industrial production for April and urban fixed-asset investment for the January-to-April period didn't rise as much as expected.
Industrial output in December rose 10.3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011, while 2012 non-rural fixed-asset investment climbed 20.6 percent year-over-year, all in line with market expectations.
Industrial production, retail sales and fixed-asset investment were all up in November, while new home prices rose in 53 out of 70 major cities in China in November, from the previous month.
Andy notes in his most recent report that value-added for larger industrial firms and fixed asset investment rose at a pace consistent with 8 to 8.5 percent GDP growth.
While Credit Suisse says FAI growth was boosted by government investment stimulus, CLSA also notes that fixed asset investment and capital spending by private firms has been rising faster than state-owned firms for 30 of the last 31 months.