US ISM Services Sector Expands for 25th Month in July but Effects of Higher Business Activity, New Orders Offset by Slower Hiring amid Tariffs, Iran War, AI Use

–ISM’s Miller: Significant Portion of Higher 2026 Capex Plans Among Services Firms Linked to Rises in Financing Costs, Prices Paid to Suppliers By Max Sato (MaceNews) – U.S. services sector remains resilient despite rising costs, expanding for the 25th straight month in July, but the pace of growth was little changed from June as higher […]

US ISM Manufacturing PMI Expands for 7th Straight Month in July but Lingering Iran War, Global AI Boom Causing Longer Supply Delivery Lead Times, Memory Chip Shortages

–ISM’s Spence: Sentiment Trending Up in Right Direction; Slower Deliveries Could Get Worse but Orders Still Flowing By Max Sato (MaceNews) – U.S. manufacturing activity expanded for the seventh straight month in July to the highest level in more than four years but the Mideast conflict and the global AI boom have made delivery times […]

Japan Week Ahead: Markets Eye Impact of Japan-US Joint Action to Stop Yen from Falling Further as Rising Bond Yields Could Hurt Economic Growth while Inflation Persists 

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Market participants are watching whether Japan’s currency intervention last week will have any lasting effect on keeping dollar bulls at bay amid concerns that rising long-term bond yields triggered by Tokyo’s large fiscal spending plans will spill over to boost borrowing costs in the United States. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama […]

Japan Week Ahead: Markets Continue to Expect BOJ Rate Hike Toward Yearend after Tankan Business Survey, Branch Managers Report Points to Resilient Economy amid Mideast Uncertainty

–May Machinery Orders Set for Pullback after April Surge but Strong Demand for Computers, AI-Linked Equipment Seen Intact By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan policymakers have received evidence this month that the domestic economy has been resilient, overcoming high fuel costs and material shortages triggered by the Middle East conflict amid the global […]

Japan Week Ahead: BOJ June Quarter Tankan Business Survey to Show Mideast Conflict Dented Confidence Slightly, Pushed Up Costs for Many Sectors

–Hot Weather, Rising Stock Markets Seen Lifting Retail Sales in May, Job Creation Continues, Factory Output to Extend Monthly Gain on Export Demand By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The tentative U.S.-Iran peace agreement has led crude oil prices lower to pre-war levels, calming jitters among policymakers and investors, but Japanese households and businesses will still […]

Preview: Forecasters See Japan Tokyo CPI Accelerating in June as Commodity Prices Rise

By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Tokyo’s consumer price index, a leading indicator of the national inflation trend, is expected to accelerate in June, reflecting higher energy costs and supply concerns surrounding naphtha, other oil products and chemicals amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East following the conflict involving the United States and Iran. […]