Finnish Economic Growth Accelerates Less Than Estimated 

(Bloomberg) -- Finland’s economic growth accelerated less than estimated in the final three months of 2018.

Gross domestic product grew a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent from the previous three-month period, compared with the 0.9 percent growth shown by the Feb. 14 flash estimate. The economy expanded 2.2 percent from a year earlier (adjusted for the number of working days), according to Statistics Finland.

Key Insights

• Trade led the fourth-quarter expansion with both imports and exports growing. Investments and private consumption also increased, while government spending fell.
• While the economy enjoyed decent growth in the fourth quarter, more recent indicators point to souring prospects. Export-reliant nations, including Finland, are vulnerable to trade tensions and a decline in demand as forecasts for global economic growth are being downgraded.
• Leading indicators are already pointing to a slowdown in the northernmost euro member’s economy in the first months of 2019, with businesses reporting falling production expectations and order books.
• The 19-country euro area, where Finland’s key export markets lie, has suffered an almost non-stop barrage of downbeat data suggesting the economy is losing pace.

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