(Reuters) – Japan’s economy rebounded from recession to grow an annualized 2.2 percent in the final quarter of last year, giving a much-needed boost to premier Shinzo Abe’s efforts to shake off decades of stagnation even as the global outlook deteriorates.
But the expansion was smaller than a 3.7 percent increase forecast in a Reuters poll, suggesting a fragile recovery for the world’s third-largest economy as consumer mood remained soft and uneven global growth weighed on exports.
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(Additional reporting by Stanley White; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)
