Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Branch Managers Update on Regional Economies at Quarterly Meeting Ahead of April 27-28 Policy Decision
–February Household Spending Seen Sluggish amid Falling Real Wages; March Producer Inflation to Tick Up on Higher Energy Costs By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week in the new fiscal year that began on April 1. Bank of Japan branch managers will provide their latest assessments of […]
Preview: Forecasters See Japan Household Spending -0.8% Y/Y, +2.6% M/M in February
Consensus outlook for Mace News Tuesday, April 7, 20260830 JST (2350 GMT/1930 EDT Monday, April 6) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases the February average household spending.Mace News median forecasts: -0.8% y/y (range:-2.9% to +0.5%) vs. Jan -1.0%; +2.3% m/m (range: -0.9% to +3.9%) vs. Jan -2.5% By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – […]
Preview: Forecasters See Japan PPI +2.2% Y/Y, +0.5% M/M in March; Eye Rising Energy Costs
Consensus outlook for Mace News Friday, April 10, 2026 0850 JST (2350 GMT/1950 EDT Thursday, April 9) The Bank of Japan releases the March corporate goods price index.Mace News median: CGPI +2.2% y/y (range: +1.9% to +3.8%) vs. Feb +2.0%; +0.5% m/m (range: +0.2% to +2.1%) vs. Feb -0.1% By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – […]
US ISM Manufacturing PMI in Expansion for 3rd Straight Month but Mideast War Compounds Uncertainty Already Heightened by New Trump Tariffs
–ISM’s Spence: New Orders Creeping Back Down Toward Neutral, Widespread Price Hikes ‘Very Concerning’ By Max Sato (MaceNews) – U.S. manufacturing activity expanded for the third straight month in March, emerging from the tariff-triggered doldrums of 2025, but the outlook has been clouded further by the lingering Mideast conflict, prompting firms to shelve investment and […]
Japan Week Ahead: Diet Set to Enact Stop-Gap Budget, Continues Debating Record Spending in Fiscal 2026 Budget amid Spike in Oil Prices
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. Lawmakers are set to approve a stop-gap budget to ensure uninterrupted social security payments and other essential spending while undergoing the final process of debating and enacting the full-year budget for fiscal 2026 starting April 1. Just as many households […]
Preview: Japan February Factory Output Forecast to Slip Back After Hitting 31-Month High in January, Retail Sales Seen Sluggish on Falling Fuel Prices
By Chikafumi Hodo Tuesday, March 310850 JST (2350 GMT/1950 EDT Monday, March 30) The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry releases preliminary February industrial production, the outlook for March, April.Mace News median: -2.0% m/m (range: -3.5% to -0.5%) vs. Jan revised to +4.3% from +2.2%; +0.4% y/y (range: -1.2% to +1.9%) vs. Jan revised to +0.7% from […]
Preview: Japan’s March Tokyo CPI Forecast to Show Tame Core and Overall Inflation Below BOJ’s 2% Target on Energy Subsidies, Easing Food Markups
By Chikafumi Hodo Tuesday, March 310830 JST (2330 GMT/1930 EDT Monday, March 30) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases March, fiscal 2025 average Tokyo CPI.Mace News median: total CPI +1.6% y/y (range: +1.4% to +1.6%) vs. Feb +1.6%; core CPI (ex-fresh food) +1.8% (range: +1.6% to +1.9%) vs. Feb +1.8%; core-core CPI (ex-fresh food, energy) […]
Preview: Japan February Unemployment Rate Forecast to Remain at 2.7%, Lowest Among G7, Focus on Payrolls After 1st Drop in Nearly 4 Years in January
By Chikafumi Hodo Tuesday, March 310830 JST (2330 GMT/1930 EDT Monday, March 30) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases the February unemployment rate.Mace News median: 2.7% (range: 2.6% to 2.7%) vs. 2.7% in Jan; 2.6% from Aug to Dec, over 5-year low of 2.3% in July, 2.5% from March to June TOKYO (MaceNews) […]
Japan Warns Mideast War Top Risk to Its Gradual Economic Recovery Outlook as Jitters Over Trade Rows Have Eased, Downgrades View on U.S. Economy
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese government leaders remain cautiously optimistic about their gradual economic recovery scenario but warned that the Mideast war is now the biggest source of global uncertainty while downgrading its view on the U.S. economy for the first time in 10 months. In its monthly report for March released Friday by […]
Preview: Forecasters See Slower Japan CPI for February on Lower Energy Prices, Utilities
(Nationwide CPI) Tuesday, March 24, 20260830 JST (2330 GMT/1930 EDT Thursday, March 23) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases February CPI.Mace News median: total CPI +1.5% y/y (range: +1.3% to +1.5%) vs. Jan +1.5%; core CPI (ex-fresh food) +1.7% y/y (range: +1.6% to +1.8%) vs. Jan +2.0%; core-core CPI (ex-fresh food, energy) +2.7% […]