BOJ Keeps Easing Stance, Sees Resilient Japan Economic Pickup Amid Pandemic
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan said Wednesday it is maintaining its stimulative policy, as expected, to support a gradual recovery from the pandemic-caused slump and continue its eight-year-old campaign to guide low inflation toward stable 2%. The central bank largely left its view on Japan’s resilient economic pickup amid the pandemic […]
Japan Govt Sees Slower Economic Pickup Amid Disrupted Supply Chains, Pandemic Spike
— Consumption, Factory Output Downgraded While Exports on Track By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government Thursday provided a more cautious view of the recent pickup in the domestic economy, saying its pace is slowing in the face of global supply chain disruptions and a surge in coronavirus cases, according to its monthly report released […]
Japan Aug Export Rise Slows; Trade Deficit on Energy, Vaccine Import Surge
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese exports continued rising at a double-digit rate on year in August after the pandemic-triggered 2020 slump, but their momentum lost steam amid global supply chain disruptions and rising Covid-19 cases, data released Thursday by the Ministry of Finance showed. Demand for Japanese iron and steel as well as semiconductor-producing […]
US, UK And Australia Announce ‘New Alignment’ in the Indo-Pacific
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is the White House transcript of the background press call on AUKUS, the sweeping declaration of cooperation among the U.S., the UK and Australia, to strengthen joint defense against China. The transcript of the call, held on an embargoed basis before the official announcement available at whitehouse.gov, adds much additional […]
Japan July Machine Orders Rebound Slightly; Pickup from 2020 Continues
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese machinery orders, the key leading indicator of business investment in equipment, rebounded slightly in July, staying on course toward a second consecutive quarterly rise in July-September, data released Wednesday by the Cabinet Office showed. Orders from manufacturers marked the fourth straight rise while those from non-manufacturers posted the first […]
BofA Global Research Fund Manager Survey: Global Growth Expectations Wither Further in September
By Vicki Schmelzer NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Global growth expectations withered further in September, according to the findings of BofA Global Research’s monthly fund manager survey, released Tuesday. Even though world growth expectations declined again this month, investors made only mild tweaks in their equity and bond portfolios. A net 13% of those polled in […]
Japan Q2 GDP Rebound Firmer Than Initially Estimated, Led by Capex Revision
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s economic rebound in the April-June quarter was firmer than expected as business investment in upgrading factories and offices turned out to be stronger than previously reported, Cabinet Office data released Wednesday showed. Revised second quarter GDP data confirmed that consumer spending remained resilient despite on-and-off restrictions on economic activity […]
Japan July Household Spending Sluggish Amid Covid-19 Restrictions
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s household spending was lackluster in July, posting a weaker-than-expected rise from a year earlier and marking the third straight month-on-month decline, as restrictions on economic activity lingered, data released Tuesday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications showed. The government is not imposing lockdowns in its efforts to […]
Japan PM Suga Not Seeking Re-Election Amid Public Rage Over Covid Surge
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is dropping out of the ruling party leadership race this month, effectively stepping down at the end of his short term, amid public furor over his government’s failure to contain the pandemic. Suga told an extraordinary executive meeting at the Liberal Democratic Party Friday that […]
Report: Japan PM Suga Plans To Dissolve Diet in Mid-Sept, Delay Party Poll
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Faced with voter discontent with government failure to contain the pandemic, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga plans to call a snap election for the lower house of parliament in mid-September, delaying the already announced process to pick the ruling party chief, the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper reported late Tuesday. Suga is expected […]