Preview: Forecasters See Machinery Orders Rebounding in December as Capex Seen Solid
Thursday, Feb. 19, 20260850 JST (2350 GMT/1850 EST Wednesday, Feb. 18) The Cabinet Office releases December machinery orders.Mace News median: core orders +3.2% m/m (range: +1.0% to +5.0%) vs. Nov -11.0%; +1.0% y/y (range: -0.5% to +4.4%) vs. Nov -6.4% By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japan’s core machinery orders, a key leading indicator of […]
Update: IMF Official: BOJ Expected to Raise Policy Rate to 1.5% by Two 25-Basis Point Hikes This Year, One Next Year
–Updates with Official Remarks at Briefing, Background –IMF: BOJ Policy Interest Rate Below Estimated Neutral Rate, Echoing Recent Comments of BOJ Governor Ueda –IMF: Continued Unwinding of Monetary Stimulus to Lift BOJ’s Overnight Rate to Neutral In 2027 –IMF Advises Against Lowering 10% Sales Tax, Hails PM Takaichi Plan to Suspend it for 2 Years […]
Preview: Forecasters See Japan Exports Up 11.9%, Imports Up 3.1% on Year in January
Wednesday, Feb. 18, 20260850 JST (2350 GMT/1850 EST Tuesday, Feb. 17) The Ministry of Finance releases January trade.Mace News survey median: exports +11.9% y/y (range: +4.9% to +14.5%) vs. Dec. +5.1%; imports +3.1% y/y (range: -2.4% to +7.0%) vs. a revised +5.2% in December from +5.3; trade deficit ¥2,211.45 billion (range: a deficit of ¥2,461.70 […]
Japan Week Ahead: Prime Minister Takaichi Set to Be Re-Elected in Diet After Ruling Conservative Party LDP Clinches Supermajority in General Election
–Q4 GDP to Confirm Tepid Rebound, January Trade to Indicate Solid Export Growth, Q4 Machine Orders Seen Up, Inflation Easing Further By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will go through a largely ceremonial parliamentary vote on Wednesday to be re-elected after the […]
Japan Week Ahead: Prime Minister Takaichi’s Landslide Win in General Election to Keep Economic Stimulus Hopes, Rising Debt Jitters Amid Wobbly Consumer Sentiment
–Producer Inflation Seen Easing Further on Lower Fuel Costs but at Gradual Pace amid Rising Copper Prices By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi led the conservative Liberal Democratic Party to a historic landslide victory in Sunday’s lower house election, paving the way […]
Preview: Forecasters See Japan Producer Price Rise Slowing to 2.3% Y/Y in January
Thursday, Feb. 12, 20260850 JST (2350 GMT/1850 EST Wednesday, Feb.11) The Bank of Japan releases the January corporate goods price index.Mace News median: CGPI +2.3% y/y (range: +2.0% to +2.4%) vs. Dec +2.4%; +0.2% m/m (range: -0.1% to +0.3%) vs. Dec +0.1% By Chikafumi Hodo (MaceNews) – Japan’s producer inflation is expected to rise on […]
Preview: Japan Q4 GDP to Rebound on Gains in Capex, Consumption, Exports, but Momentum Remains Weak
By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Backed by gains in capital investment, gradual rises in exports, and continuing modest recovery in private consumption, Japan’s real gross domestic product is expected to rebound and post its first positive growth in two quarters in the October–December period, following a sharp contraction in the previous quarter. Still, the […]
US ISM Services Sector Afloat over Optimism for Better Business in 2026 but AI Boom Causing Capacity Concerns; Overall Cost Pressures Remain High
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The U.S. services sector posted a 19th straight month of expansion in January on general optimism that things will turn around in 2026 in the aftermath of Trump tariff storms but the pace of activity was flat on the month as data center expansion is causing capacity concerns and rising […]
US ISM Manufacturing PMI Surges to 41-Month High on Vague Optimism About Demand Comeback but Uncertainty Over Trump Tariffs Continues to Choke Supply Chains
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – U.S. manufacturing activity sprang back to life in January, marking the first expansion in 12 months backed by unclear optimism that demand will improve, but overall sentiment remains gloomy, hit by the lingering uncertainty caused by protectionist U.S. trade policy. The purchasing managers index compiled by the Institute for Supply […]
Preview: Japanese Household Spending Expected Up 0.1% on Year in December with Ongoing Boost from Autos
Friday, Feb. 6, 20260830 JST (2350 GMT/1830 EST Thursday, Feb. 5) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases the December and the annual 2025 average household spending. Mace News median forecasts: +0.1% y/y (range: -3.7% to +1.0%) vs. Nov +2.9%; -0.4% m/m (range: -3.5% to +0.1%) vs. Nov +6.2% By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) […]