BOJ March Tankan Business Sentiment Slips on Covid, Ukraine; Capex Plans Revised Down
–Fall in Sentiment After Recent Improvement Not As Bad As Forecast –Major Firms Revise Down FY21 Capex Plans, See Small Rise in FY22 –Smaller Firms Unexpectedly Revise Down FY21 Capex Plans; Cautious of FY22 By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Confidence among many sectors in Japan slipped in March after improving for the sixth straight quarter […]
BOJ March Meeting Summary: Watch Underlying Inflation, Japan Needs Easing
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan board members argued sustainable inflation must come from domestic demand amid moves among firms to pass higher costs onto consumers, with one pointing to downside risks to the inflation outlook from a fallback in global commodities prices later this year, according to the summary of opinions expressed […]
Analysis: Bank of Japan to Keep Easing Stance, To Check 10-Year JGB Yield Rise Despite Yen Fall
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan is committed to maintaining its current monetary easing framework aimed at guiding low inflation toward its 2% target despite the recent rapid depreciation of the yen, which could further push up import costs amid rising food and energy costs. The BOJ on Monday resumed unlimited fixed-rate […]
Preview: BOJ March Tankan To Show Sentiment Hit by Omicron Spike, Ukraine War
–Sentiment Among Manufacturers, Non-Manufacturers Seen Down After Recent Pickup –Small Business Sentiment Indexes Expected to Remain in Negative Territory –Major Firms Expected to Revise Down FY21 Capex Plans, See Small FY22 Gain –Smaller Firms Playing Catchup in FY21 Capex as They Tend To Do Toward Fiscal Yearend By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of […]
BOJ January Meeting Minutes: Must See Underlying CPI Trend Amid Pickup on Rising Costs
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan policy board members argued that the central bank must capture the underlying trend in consumer inflation, with a focus on slow wage hikes, even though its annual rate may come close to the bank’s 2% target temporarily as energy and commodities prices rise and the base effects […]
BOJ Keeps Easing Stance, To Trim Commercial Paper, Corporate Bond Buying to Pre-Pandemic Levels
–BOJ Vows to Keep Monetary Support Until 2% Inflation Achieved –Japan Economy Likely to Recover Despite Surging Commodities Prices –‘Extremely High Uncertainties’ Over Ukraine Impact on Japan Via Prices, Markets, Global Demand By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan said Friday it is maintaining its interest rate targets and main asset purchase program […]
Analysis: Japan PM Kishida to Face Bad Economic News After Omicron Storm
–Economists Revise Down Forecasts to Show Slight Contraction in 1Q By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is likely to face bad news on the economic front after barely surviving voter frustration over public health restrictions imposed about two months ago aimed at fighting a surge in Covid infections caused by the […]
Japan February Tokyo Core CPI Rise Picks Up From January on Utilities, Processed Food
–Hotel Fees Slower After 2021 Double-Digit Gains Over 2020 Subsidized Discounts–Utilities Leading Energy Higher; Durable Goods Down As Stay-at-Home Demand Wanes–Most of Base Effect in Mobile Phone User Fee Cuts To Last Through March By Mas Sato (MaceNews) – The year-on-year rise in consumer prices in Tokyo, the leading indicator of the national average, picked […]
Analysis: Japan Economy Faces Headwind in Light of Russian Invasion of Ukraine
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s wobbly economic recovery faces downside risks from high energy and commodities prices, which have surged on tensions over Ukraine between Russia and the West and could rise further on supply concerns now that Russia has invaded its neighbour. The direct impact of economic sanctions against Moscow on Japan’s trade […]
BOJ Moves to Defend 10-Year JGB Yield’s 0.25% Ceiling as Bonds Sold on Fed Tightening Mode
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan sent a clear message to financial markets late on Thursday that it is not following other major central banks in shifting gears toward tightening by announcing that it is conducting an unlimited fixed-rate long bond buying operation at 0.25%, the upper limit of its guidance range. […]