Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Seen Standing Pat amid Uncertainty Over U.S.-Iran Standoff in Mideast Peace Talks
–Factory Output, Retail Sales Seen Posting Modest Rebound, Unemployment Stable, Inflation in Tokyo Tame By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. Risk-on and risk-off trading is likely to continue in the financial markets as investors watch for news from U.S.-Iran talks aimed at breaking the impasse in […]
Japan Keeps Cautiously Optimistic Economic Outlook as Bulls Drive Tokyo Stocks Higher on Hopes of End to Mideast Conflict, Resumed Gulf Shipping
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government continues to expect a gradual economic recovery, backed by strong demand for investment in artificial intelligence, while Tokyo stock markets keep flirting with record highs on hopes of an end to the Iran war that would allow reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, crucial for oil and gas […]
Japan Week Ahead: Countdown to BOJ’s Tough Decision on Whether Now Is Right Time to Lift Policy Interest Rate Closer to Neutral Level
–Exports Likely Remain Resilient in March Trade Data, Inflation Seen Tame Below BOJ’s 2% Target but High Price Levels Still Hurt By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. The Bank of Japan’s media communications blackout period starts on Wednesday, three business days before the next policy meeting […]
Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Board Members Continue Weighing Mideast War Impact on Higher Inflation Against Lower Growth Ahead of April 27-28 Meeting
–February Machinery Orders Seen Flat on Month After Smaller-Than-Expected Drop in January; BOJ Tankan Showed Solid Capex Plans in Fiscal 2026 By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. The data calendar is light two weeks ahead of the Bank of Japan meeting on April 27-28 at which […]
Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Branch Managers Update on Regional Economies at Quarterly Meeting Ahead of April 27-28 Policy Decision
–February Household Spending Seen Sluggish amid Falling Real Wages; March Producer Inflation to Tick Up on Higher Energy Costs By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week in the new fiscal year that began on April 1. Bank of Japan branch managers will provide their latest assessments of […]
Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Set to Hold Policy Rate amid Uncertainty over Mideast War’s Impact on Inflation, Growth; PM Takaischi Pushing for Swift Budget Approval
–Board Expected to Repeat BOJ Needs to Raise Rates Further After December Hike, 4th in Normalization Process That Ueda Launched in March 2024 By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. The government is pushing its record-high annual budget through the Diet to keep the economy afloat while […]
Japan’s Government Sticks to Modest Economic Recovery Outlook as Firms Tiding Over Trump Tariff Storms, Inflation Drifting Lower on Easing Food, Energy Costs
–PM Takaichi Quiet on BOJ’s Unwinding of Stimulus; Mainichi Says She Showed Reluctance to Further Rate Hikes in Recent Meeting with Governor Ueda –Government Nominates Academic Types with Possible Reflationary Bias to Replace Two Outgoing BOJ Board Members By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government continues to predict a modest economic recovery, noting that corporate […]
Japan Govt Sticks to Modest Recovery Outlook as Exports Weather Trump Tariff Storms; BOJ Hikes Rates on Easing Trade Uncertainties, Vows to Raise More
–BOJ Governor Ueda: Policy Rate at 0.75% After Latest 25-Bp Hike Still ‘Slightly Below’ Estimated Neutral Rate By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese government policymakers are holding on to their conviction that the economy will stay on a modest recovery track as the latest trade data showed a rebound in exports to the key U.S. […]
Bank of Japan Survey: Majority of Firms Plan to Keep Current High Pace of Wage Hikes in Fiscal 2026
–Combined with Improving Business Confidence in Tankan, Wages Survey Points to BOJ Rate Hike This Week By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Three days before its policy-setting meeting, the Bank of Japan on Monday released the results of a quick survey that showed a majority of companies plan to maintain the existing relatively high pace of […]
Update: Japan Week Ahead: Bank of Japan Set to Hike Rates amid Easing Uncertainty over Trade Rows, Focus on Governor Ueda Remarks on Estimated Neutral Rate
–Adds Context to Economy Watchers Survey in Paragraphs 15-17 (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese economic events for the coming week, with the market focus on what the governor of the Bank of Japan will say about a widely expected interest rate hike and how much more the bank should lift the overnight rate […]