US ISM Manufacturing Index Slips in March on Inflation, Europe Slowdown, China Covid Spike 
–ISM: Ukraine War Behind Dramatic Rise in Prices Index –ISM: More Firms are Concerned About Rising Prices –ISM: Manufacturers’ Concerns Over Delivery Delays Eased from February –ISM: Fed Rate Hikes Long-Term Headwind but Positive for Inflation Now By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Growth in US manufacturing activity slowed in March as surging energy and commodities […]
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 […]
Japan February Industrial Output Posts Small Rebound on Easing Covid Spike, Supply Shortages
–Carmakers, Electric/Telecom Makers See High Output in March, April –METI: Forecast May Be Revised Down; Survey Taken Before March 16 Earthquake –METI Keeps View: Factory Output Shows Signs of Pickup –METI Repeats: To Watch Effects of Pandemic, Parts Shortages, Ukraine By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s industrial production posted a slight rebound in February, marking […]
Japan February Retail Sales Dip on Covid Rules; Auto Sales Remain Weak on Chip Shortages 
–METI Repeats Retail Sales Are Flat After Downgrading Its View Last Month –Department Store Sales Mark 1st Y/Y Drop in 5 Months on Bad Weather, Omicron –Fuel Sales Up on Rising Energy Prices; Demand for Medicine, Cosmetic Solid By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese retail sales posted the third straight monthly dip and the first […]
Japan February Unemployment Slips to 2.7% But Job Creation Slow
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Job creation in Japan remained sluggish in February compared to a year earlier but the unemployment rate fell from January as job cuts eased and fewer people began looking for work, data released Tuesday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed. The seasonally adjusted average unemployment rate fell […]
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 […]
Biden Admin Budget Proposals Hit Billionaires, Deficit
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – President Biden Monday afternoon formally unveils his fiscal 2023 federal government budget proposals, increasing military spending – which Republicans like – and inventing a new tax on unrealized capital gains aimed the the richest tier of Americans – which Republican pledge to kill as fast as possible. The White House fact sheet […]
<strong>Japan Govt Sees Economic Pickup Signs, Warns of Downside Risks from Inflation, Markets, War </strong>
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government Friday maintained its overview that the economy is showing signs of a pickup amid some soft spots as Covid cases appear to have peaked, but also warned that rising prices, volatile financial markets, and the war in Ukraine could heighten downside risks, according to its monthly report released […]
Japan March Tokyo CPI Y/Y Rise Hits Over 2-Year High on Utilities, Processed Food
–Utilities Continue Leading Energy Costs Higher; Gasoline Rise Slows –Total CPI Also Pushed Up by Another Surge in Fresh Food Prices –Most Base Effects of Sharp Mobile Phone Charge Discounts To End This Month By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The year-on-year rise in consumer prices in Tokyo, the leading indicator of the national average, hit […]
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 […]