BOJ Kuroda Repeats No Plans for Rate Hike, Rapid Yen Drop Undesirable
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda made it clear once again that the bank’s policymakers are “not considering raising interest rates at all” given their latest outlook that domestic inflation is unlikely to be anchored around its 2% target in the next few years. He told a post-meeting news conference […]
BOJ Keeps Easing Stance; Revises Up CPI Forecast, Sees Slower FY22 GDP Growth
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan said Thursday it is maintaining its super-low interest rate targets along the yield curve and large asset purchases, as expected, to help the economy fully recover from the pandemic-caused slump and anchor inflation around its stable 2% target. To keep speculative market forces from pushing the […]
Japan June Producer Inflation Eases Slightly on Slower Lumber, Steel Gains; Fuels Pick Up Again
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Producer inflation in Japan eased slightly in June after hitting a 41-year high in April as year-on-year gains in the costs for lumber and wood products as well as iron and steel slowed, while the prices of gasoline and other fuels picked up the pace of increase again, data released […]
Analysis: After Abe’s Death, PM Kishida Still Has to Show How His New Capitalism Works for Japan
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – After Friday’s assassination of Shinzo Abe, architect of the reflationary economic policy mix dubbed Abenomics, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has yet to show whether his “new capitalism” is a better alternative in revitalizing Japan. During the ruling party leadership election campaign last year, Kishida floated the idea of shifting from […]
Preview: BOJ June Tankan Sentiment Mixed; Manufacturers Down, Services Up
–Covid Lockdowns in China, High Producer Costs Weigh on Factory Operators –Services Seen Upbeat on Japan’s Eased Covid Rules, Summer Spending Hopes –Business Confidence Projected to Improve in September Amid Uncertainty –Firms, Large and Small, Expected to Revise Up Their Combined FY22 Capex Plans By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan’s quarterly Tankan […]
BOJ June Meeting Summary: Need Easing for Stable 2% Inflation, Wage Hikes
–Board Members See Uncertainty from China’s Covid Policy, Other Risks–Members Note Pickup in Service Sector on Japan’s Eased Covid Rules By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan board members argued that continued monetary easing is necessary to anchor 2% inflation in a “stable” manner, and to achieve that goal, fiscal support and labor market […]
Japan Govt Keeps View Economy Showing Signs of Pickup as Eased Covid Rules Prop Up Sentiment
By Mas Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government Monday maintained its economic overview for June after upgrading it in April as the drag from the pandemic appears to have waned while continuing to warn about the impact of the protracted Ukraine war, Covid restrictions in China, supply bottlenecks and fluctuating financial markets, according to its monthly […]
Analysis: BOJ Easing Stance Set in Stone, Abenomics Ghost Haunts Japan’s Policymaking
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The latest message from Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda points to the bank’s long-term commitment to maintaining its monetary easing stance despite a rush of interest rate hikes by other central banks, as cyclical and structural issues are keeping Japan’s domestic demand sluggish and consumer prices relatively low. In […]
BOJ Keeps Easing Stance to Support Economic Recovery as Inflation Stays Tame
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan said Friday it is maintaining its super-low interest rate targets along the nearly flat yield curve and large-scale asset purchase program to support economic recovery and lead inflation toward its stable 2% target from relatively low levels, staying as a lone wolf while other major central […]
Japan May Producer Inflation Eases on Slower Crude Oil Rise After Hitting 41-Year High in April
–BOJ’s Kuroda Committed to Easing Stance Despite Weak Yen, Seeing Slower Prices in FY23 By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Producer inflation in Japan eased in May to 9.1% on the year as crude oil and non-ferrous metal prices fell from the previous month, reflecting recent international markets, but April’s 9.8% spike, although downwardly revised from […]