Malaysia 2Q GDP +5.8% on Year; Economists Expected +5.4%

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--Malaysia's economy grew faster than expected in the second quarter ended June, anchored by growth in the private and public sectors, and a broad-based expansion in exports of manufactured goods and commodities.

Gross domestic product rose 5.8% in April-June from the same period a year earlier, according to the country's central bank, Bank Negara Malaysia, on Friday.

The figures for the quarter exceeded the 5.6% growth recorded in the first quarter of this year. It was also faster than the median 5.4% growth forecast from a Wall Street Journal poll of 13 economists earlier this week.

On a sequential basis, a closer measure of the economy's recent momentum, Malaysia's economy grew 1.3% on a seasonally adjusted basis in the latest quarter.

2nd Qtr 1st Qtr

Gross Domestic Product +5.8% +5.6%

Manufacturing +6.0% +5.6%

Services Sector +6.3% +5.8%

Mining Sector +0.2% +1.6%

Agriculture Sector +5.9% +8.3%

Construction Sector +8.3% +6.5%

Private Sector Consumption +7.1% +6.6%

-- Write to Yantoultra Ngui at yantoultra.ngui@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

August 18, 2017 00:14 ET (04:14 GMT)