Japan’s economic growth probably peaked in the first quarter and analysts forecast the pace of expansion will halve by year-end as the boost from earthquake reconstruction fades.
Gross domestic product rose an annualized 3.5 percent, compared with a 0.7 percent contraction in the final three months of 2011, according to the median estimate of 27 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The Cabinet Office will give the number at 8:50 a.m. in Tokyo tomorrow.
