JAPAN NOV EXPORTS UNEXPECTEDLY SLUMP, WEAK ENERGY PRICES KEEP TRADE IN SURPLUS

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese exports took one step back from the recent pickup trend and posted an unexpected fall in November, remaining below year-earlier levels for two years as the global economy faces pandemic-caused uncertainty, data released Wednesday by the Ministry of Finance showed. The outlook for domestic growth and a return to […]

JAPAN: BOJ DEC TANKAN BUSINESS CONFIDENCE JUMPS BUT BIG FIRMS REVISE DOWN CAPEX PLANS

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese firms nearly across the board reported their sentiment improved substantially in December from three months earlier, thanks to Chinese and U.S. economic recovery as well as a gradual pickup in domestic demand, according to the Bank of Japan’s quarterly Tankan business survey released Monday. But the survey also showed […]

DATA PREVIEW: RETAIL SALES, HOUSING STARTS, FED MEETING

By Denny Gulino WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The November retail sales report from the Census Bureau is the highlight among the upcoming week’s economic data with housing starts along for the ride, readings in two industries doing better than expected during the pandemic. Retail sales through October were up 5.7% from a year earlier according to […]

JAPAN Q3 GDP REVISED UP TO +5.3% Q/Q, +22.9% ANNUALIZED, ON FIRMER CONSUMPTION, CAPEX

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s economy for the July-September quarter surged an upwardly revised 5.3% on quarter, or an annualized 22.9%, from the initial reading of +5.0% (+21.4% annualized), as a rebound in consumer spending turned out to be stronger than previously estimated and the decline in business investment was smaller than initially believed, […]

NABE SURVEY FINDS MIXED SIGNALS ON VIRUS EFFECT BUT A BETTER 2021

–For 2021 ‘A Dramatic Improvement From the October Survey’ WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Members of the National Association for Business Economics Monday were of at least two minds about several pandemic related metrics, on the one hand taking a somewhat optimistic view that despite the virus surge, growth would only moderate, not tank in the near […]

STATUS CHECK: RUMOR CHECK – 2020 WILL END AT SOME POINT

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is Friday’s status check of developments in the U.S. that can influence economic, health and political outcomes. Wait, this just in. The Brexit talks have fallen apart. You don’t look surprised. Or even interested.  Someday a headline will flash. Brexit Talks Fall Together. Time is running out, after all. The […]

DATA PREVIEW: INFLATION MEASURES NOT EXPECTED TO RING ANY ALARM BELLS

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The coming week’s economic data measures updated consumer and business inflation readings in a context of higher interest rates and a slower rebuilding of the jobs market. Outside of the standard data, Congress faces a midnight Friday deadline to avoid another government shutdown which, if it happens, could delay the following week’s […]