Japan February Producer Prices Up 9.3% Y/Y Amid High Energy Costs, Supply Bottlenecks
–Japan Producer Prices Post Rises 0.8% M/M for 2nd Straight Rise By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Producer prices in Japan continued climbing from year-earlier levels in February amid lingering global supply constraints and high fuel and electricity costs, with the pace of increase hitting a fresh 41-year high partly in reaction to a slight dip […]
Analysis: Oil Falls Back as Speculators Take Profit, Market Players Reassess Ukraine Situation
By Vicki Schmelzer (MaceNews) – Crude oil prices have backed down from recent highs as speculative accounts take profit and market players reassess the situation in Ukraine. News that the International Energy Agency members would release more crude oil stocks and hopes for progress in Thursday’s Russia-Ukraine talks appeared to spur long liquidation Wednesday, along […]
Japan Q4 GDP Growth Unexpectedly Revised Down on Softer Consumption 
— Capex Shows Slight Downward Revision Vs. Projected Upward Revision — Public Works Revised Down As Expected, Its Negative Contribution Unrevised — Q1 GDP Growth Seen Slower Amid Covid Restrictions, Rising Costs, Ukraine By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s economic rebound in the October-December quarter was unexpectedly revised down slightly as consumer spending turned out […]
FOMC Set to Proceed ‘Carefully’ on Road to Tighter Monetary Policy, But Ultimate Destination Unclear
– Must Decide Pace of Rate Hikes, Where Neutral Is, and Whether Neutral Is High Enough – Fed Getting Closer to Balance Sheet Reduction But Funds Rate Primary Policy Tool By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – It seemed virtually a foregone conclusion that the Federal Reserve would start raising short-term interest rates in mid-March after Jerome Powell’s […]
Preview: Japan Q4 GDP Rebound Seen Revised Up Slightly on Capex
— Private Consumption To Remain Key Growth Driver in Revised Data — Forecasts for Firmer Capex, Weaker Public Works Based on MOF Survey — Q1 GDP Growth Expected To Slow; BOJ January Consumption Index Slumps By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s economic rebound in the October-December quarter is likely to be revised up slightly as […]
Ukraine War Expected to Speed Birth of EU Army – Italy Sources
–Plan would create EU rapid deployment force to cope with emergencies –Joint force aimed at supplementing NATO, boosting European military defense By Silvia Marchetti ROME (MaceNews) – The Ukrainian crisis is bound to accelerate the creation of a European Union military force and move toward a common defense policy, which the EU now lacks, said […]
Japan January Unemployment Edges Up To 2.8% Amid Covid Restrictions
— Job Cuts Y/Y Deeper in Wholesale, Retail, Education— Hospitality Jobs Up on January 2021, When Covid State of Emergency Imposed By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Job creation in Japan remained weak in January compared to a year earlier and the unemployment rate edged up from December as more people either lost their jobs or […]
Bank of Canada’s Macklem: Won’t Rule Out 50 bp Rate Hike in Future If Needed
–BOC Governor: To Tighten Policy ‘In a Deliberate and Careful Way’ By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said Thursday that he won’t rule out the possibility of the bank raising the policy interest rate by a faster pace of 50 basis points than its decision Wednesday to conduct the first […]
Fed’s Powell Will Ask for 25 bp Rate Hike March 16; First Of ‘Series’ of Rate Hikes
– But FOMC Will Withdraw Monetary Stimulus ‘Carefully’ To Avoid ‘Adding Uncertainty’ – Ultimate Aim is ‘Neutral’ Rate of 2-2.5%; Perhaps Higher; Must Act ‘With Care’ By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will not prevent the Federal Reserve from beginning to raise interest rates in two weeks, but it will make the Fed more cautious about withdrawing monetary […]
Bank of Canada Hikes Policy Rate To 0.50% From Record Low 0.25% To Fight Inflation
–BOC Keeps Reinvesting in Government Bonds on Its Balance Sheet –BOC: Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine ‘A Major New Source of Uncertainty’–BOC: Expect Further Rate Hikes As Economic Growth, Inflation Pressures Continue –BOC: To Consider Start of Quantitative Tightening Based on Economic Assessment By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Canada on Wednesday raised its […]