Chinese GDP data was released much later than I normally expect it, at 0700 GMT instead of the what I have come to expect around 0200 GMT
But ... if you are a reader of ForexLive we got the number much earlier straight from the horses mouth
An overnight note from Lloyds noted the data represents "robustness from China". A brief extract (bolding mine):
- The key data today though was out of China. While retail sales for December were a little softer at 9.4% vs 10.2% previously, industrial production held in at 6.6% ytd (2017) with GDP holding in at 6.8% y/y.
- This robustness from China should negate fears, at this stage anyway, of a China slowdown and continued support to risk sentiment around the global growth story.
Separately (but these are linked with China growth) - the bank on commodities (again, a snippet):
- Raw material commodity prices remain near their recovery highs (industrial metals are up ~60% since their 2016 lows), while oil prices also maintain their recovery process with US inventories continuing to fall and OPEC continuing to comply with their supply restriction programme
