JAPAN Q3 GDP RECOVERS HALF OF PANDEMIC-CAUSED RECORD PLUNGE IN Q2

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s economy for the July-September quarter surged 5.0% on quarter, or an annualized 21.4%, led by a rebound in net exports and consumer spending, but it only recovered just over a half of a record plunge in April-June amid the pandemic-triggered slowdown, Cabinet Office data released Monday showed. The first […]

JAPAN Q3 GDP FORECAST TO SHOW SOME RECOVERY FROM Q2 PLUNGE

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s gross domestic product for the July-September quarter is forecast by economists to show a 4.4% rise on quarter, or an annualized 19.0%, led by a rebound in net exports and consumer spending, recovering about half of the 7.9% plunge (28.1% annualized) in April-June caused by the pandemic. The median […]

JAPAN SEPT TOTAL WAGES CONTINUE FALLING; BASE PAY ON MODEST UPTREND

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Average wages in Japan remained depressed in September as the coronavirus has triggered layoffs and bankruptcies, while base wages, the key indicator for overall cash earnings, showed modest gains, data released Friday by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare showed. The key points from the Monthly Labour Survey: * […]

JAPAN SEPT HOUSEHOLD SPENDING DOWN Y/Y BUT Q3 RISE TO SUPPORT GDP GROWTH

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s household spending in September continued to slump from a year earlier, hit by the October 2019 sales tax hike and the global pandemic, but a quarter-on-quarter gain indicates consumption supported solid GDP growth after a third consecutive contraction through April-June, data released Friday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs […]

STATUS CHECK COMMENTARY – STOWING THE AMMO BEFORE ELECTION DAY

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Thursday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. ·        Does anyone still care that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Stephen Mnuchin exchanged letters, each listing the deficiencies in the other’s position on pandemic relief. Suffice to say they’re far […]

JAPAN SEPT FACTORY OUTPUT ON PICKUP TREND BUT LEVEL STILL LOW

(MaceNews) – Japan’s industrial production continued to crawl out of a pandemic-caused plunge seen in the spring on recovery domestic and overseas demand, marking a fourth straight month-on-month gain in September, but the level of output remains low, preliminary data released Friday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed. The key points from […]

JAPAN GOVERNMENT SEES CONSUMPTION PICKUP; OVERALL ECONOMIC VIEW STAYS CAUTIOUS

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government on Friday upgraded its assessment of private consumption for the first time in three months after downgrading it only last month, while maintaining its cautious view of overall domestic economic health amid a global spike in coronavirus cases. The government Cabinet Office report described the current state of […]

JAPAN SEPT CORE CPI -0.3% Y/Y VS. AUG -0.4% ON SMALLER HOTEL FEE DROPS

–BOJ Sees Core Price Drop Continuing By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The global pandemic continued to depress Japanese consumer prices in September as economic activity remained restrained amid slower declines in energy costs, but the year-on-year decline was slightly smaller than expected in light of less drastic cuts in tourism prices, data from the Ministry […]

JAPAN SEPT EXPORT DROP SLOWS ON CHINA, US PICKUP; TRADE IN SURPLUS

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The year-on-year rate of decline in Japanese exports slowed again in September as demand for some goods is picking up amid slowly reopening businesses in parts of the pandemic-hit global economy, trade data released Monday by the Ministry of Finance showed. The key points: * Exports marked the 22nd straight […]

JAPAN DATA: BOJ SEPT. TANKAN SHOWS BUSINESS SENTIMENT UP SLIGHTLY

By Max Sato TOKYO (MaceNews) – Major Japanese firms, led by carmakers and electronics makers, reported their sentiment edged up in September from three months earlier as businesses in their key markets reopened cautiously amid the lingering coronavirus pandemic, according to the Bank of Japan’s quarterly Tankan business survey released Thursday. The key points from […]