Japan January Household Spending Rebounds Y/Y on Less Strict Covid Rules

–Spending in January Dips Vs. December Amid Omicron-Led Spike in Covid Cases –Ministry Sees Spending As Largely Flat, To Watch Impact of Restrictions on February By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s household spending slipped back on the month in January, hit by the drag from the Omicron-led spike in Covid cases, but posted the first […]

Foreign Ministers of Russia and Ukraine Complete Unproductive Meeting in Turkey

(MaceNews) – Foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine, Sergei Lavrov and Dmitry Kuleba, completed their meeting in the Turkish Mediterranean resort town of Antalya, the highest-level meeting between the two post-Soviet states on the15th day of shocking bloodshed in Europe since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24th. There was no progress to report but the […]

Japan Q4 GDP Growth Unexpectedly Revised Down on Softer Consumption 

— Capex Shows Slight Downward Revision Vs. Projected Upward Revision — Public Works Revised Down As Expected, Its Negative Contribution Unrevised — Q1 GDP Growth Seen Slower Amid Covid Restrictions, Rising Costs, Ukraine By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s economic rebound in the October-December quarter was unexpectedly revised down slightly as consumer spending turned out […]

Preview: Japan Q4 GDP Rebound Seen Revised Up Slightly on Capex

— Private Consumption To Remain Key Growth Driver in Revised Data — Forecasts for Firmer Capex, Weaker Public Works Based on MOF Survey — Q1 GDP Growth Expected To Slow; BOJ January Consumption Index Slumps By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s economic rebound in the October-December quarter is likely to be revised up slightly as […]

Japan January Unemployment Edges Up To 2.8% Amid Covid Restrictions

— Job Cuts Y/Y Deeper in Wholesale, Retail, Education— Hospitality Jobs Up on January 2021, When Covid State of Emergency Imposed By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Job creation in Japan remained weak in January compared to a year earlier and the unemployment rate edged up from December as more people either lost their jobs or […]

US ISM Manufacturing Index Rebounds in February on New Orders

–ISM: Conflict in Ukraine Unlikely To Hurt US Manufacturing Expansion  –ISM Concerned Rising Energy Prices To Provide Headwinds To US Economy  –ISM Survey Shows Supply Chain Constraints Remain, Backlogs Grow  By Max Sato (MaceNews) – US manufacturing activity rebounded in February after Covid restrictions caused by the Omicron variant slowed the sector’s growth in January, […]

Japan January Industrial Output Dips As Covid Infections Hit Auto Factories

–METI Keeps View Output Shows Signs of Pickup As Firms See Rebound in Feb –METI To Watch Effects of Spread of Pandemic, Parts Shortages, Ukraine  By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s industrial production posted the second straight drop in January, slipping after a surge in November, as a spike in Omicron-led coronavirus cases caused some […]