Preview: Forecasters See Japan Exports Up Again in March on Chip, Electronics Sales

0850 JST (2350 GMT/1950 EDT Tuesday, April 21) The Ministry of Finance releases March trade.Mace News median: exports +11.2% y/y (range: +8.9% to +14.2%) vs. a revised +4.0% February from +4.2; imports +5.7% y/y (range: +3.0% to +10.1%) vs. a revised +10.3% in February from +10.2%; trade surplus ¥1,114.20 billion (range: a surplus of ¥530.60 […]

Preview: Forecasters See Japan CPI Inflation Steady in March Report from February

0830 JST (2330 GMT/1930 EDT Thursday, April 23) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases March CPI. Mace News median: total CPI +1.4% y/y (range: +1.2% to +1.6%) vs. Feb +1.3%; core CPI (ex-fresh food) +1.6% y/y (range: +1.5% to +1.9%) vs. Feb +1.6%; core-core CPI (ex-fresh food, energy) +2.4% y/y (range +2.3% to […]

Fed Officials Remain Uncertain, Hesitant as Middle East Tensions Continue

– Waller Forecasts Possible Rate Cuts but Not until ‘Later This Year’ – Daly ‘Wouldn’t Be Surprised’ If Funds Rate Left Unchanged Through 2026 By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Monetary policy remained firmly on hold in the minds of Federal Reserve officials toward the end of the week, amid a rapidly changing situation in […]

Fed’s Jefferson: FOMC ‘Well-Positioned’ To Face Upside Inflation, Downside Job Risks

–– Williams: FOMC Is Now ‘Really Well-Positioned’ To ‘Wait and See’ — Goolsbee: Fed in ‘Very Uncomfortable Situation; Facing Danger of ‘Stagflation’ By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve Vice Chairman Phillip Jefferson said Tuesday evening that monetary policy is “well-positioned” in a war-influenced environment of both upside risks to inflation and downside risks […]

US ISM Services Sector Keeps Solid Expansion in March but Hit by Transport Cost Spike, Mideast War Adds to Uncertainty as Trump Tariff Saga Drags on

–ISM’s Miller: ‘Not Seeing Weakness in Services Sector’; Employment Subindex Slump ‘One-Month Blip’ By Max Sato (MaceNews) – U.S. services sector expansion slowed but maintained underlying strength in March, led by another strong gain in new orders, but firms were also hit by a rapid and widespread spike in energy and commodities prices, particularly fuel […]