The Slovak economy grew by a much faster-than-expected 9.5 percent annually in the fourth quarter, the Slovak Statistics Office said on Tuesday in a preliminary estimate of gross domestic product (GDP) data. The figure showed a moderate deceleration from a record 9.8 percent rise in the third quarter, but beat the 8.1 percent forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll. The Statistics Office does not release any detailed data in its flash GDP estimate. It is due to publish revised fourth quarter figures, including a breakdown of the data, on March 6.
[BRATISLAVA/Reuters/Finance.cz]