Japan February Machine Orders Post 2nd Straight Monthly Drop Amid Uncertainty
–Japan Govt Downgrades View: Pickup in Machine Orders Stalling By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese machinery orders, the key leading indicator of business investment in equipment, posted a sharper-than-expected second straight monthly drop in February amid uncertainty over economic growth caused by surging producer costs and the war in Ukraine, data released Wednesday by the […]
Japan March Producer Prices Up 9.5% Vs. 9.7% in February, Crude Oil Cost Rise Moderates 
–Japan Producer Prices +0.8% M/M, Led by Electric Power, Chemicals –Japan Producer Prices Rebound 7.3% in Fiscal 2021 After 1.4% Drop By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Producer inflation moderated slightly in March but remained high above 9%, close to a 41-year high, as global supply bottlenecks and high energy costs continued amid uncertainty over the […]
Japan Economic Sentiment Picks Up in March but Uncertainty Lingers Over Costs, Ukraine
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese data and anecdotal evidence are pointing to a resilient economy after the number of Covid cases peaked in February, but households and business continued to face rising costs and uncertainty over the pandemic and geopolitical risks after an expected slump in the first quarter. Economic confidence in Japan partially […]
Japan February Household Spending Sluggish Amid Omicron, Snowstorms
–Spending Up Slightly on Year but Posts 2nd Straight Drop on Month –Ministry Drops ‘Flat’ Reference to Falling Spending; To Watch Covid Impact By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s household spending posted the second straight month-on-month drop in February as the worst spike in Covid cases in the two-year pandemic hit many regions and bad […]
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 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 […]
BOJ March Meeting Summary: Watch Underlying Inflation, Japan Needs Easing
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan board members argued sustainable inflation must come from domestic demand amid moves among firms to pass higher costs onto consumers, with one pointing to downside risks to the inflation outlook from a fallback in global commodities prices later this year, according to the summary of opinions expressed […]
Analysis: Bank of Japan to Keep Easing Stance, To Check 10-Year JGB Yield Rise Despite Yen Fall
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan is committed to maintaining its current monetary easing framework aimed at guiding low inflation toward its 2% target despite the recent rapid depreciation of the yen, which could further push up import costs amid rising food and energy costs. The BOJ on Monday resumed unlimited fixed-rate […]
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 […]