Japan logged a current account surplus for the third consecutive month in April, with an surge in direct investment income outweighing a trade deficit, government data showed on Monday.

The surplus in the balance, one of the widest gauges of international trade, stood at 750.0 billion yen, up 376.5 billion yen from the year before, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.

The income account marked a record high monthly surplus of 2.12 trillion yen, up 51.8 percent from a year earlier, partly because a weaker yen helped boost the value of income from overseas investments.

The goods trade deficit increased to 818.8 billion yen, the highest level for April since 1985 as increasing imports more than outweighing a rise in exports. (One U.S. dollar equals 97.74 yen) Endit

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