Fed Officials Not Ready To Move Rates Either Way as Iran Uncertainty Continues
— Rate Hike Sentiment Rising, But Most Inclined to Be Patient — Easing Bias Seems Increasingly Likely To Go By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve officials leaned half heartedly toward a potential tightening of monetary policy this week, as they struggled to keep up with the vicissitudes of the Iran conflict and its […]
Preview: Forecasters See Japan’s Household Spending Hit By Rising Costs in April Report
Friday, June 5, 20260830 JST (2350 GMT/1930 EDT Monday, May 11) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases the April average household spending.Mace News median forecasts: -1.6% y/y (range: -2.7% to 0.3%) vs. Mar -2.9%; +0.4% m/m (range: -0.5% to +2.0%) vs. Mar -1.3% By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Persisting geopolitical tensions in […]
Preview: Forecasters See Japan Unemployment Stable in April Data with Job Market Firm
Friday, May 29, 2026 0830 JST (2330 GMT/1930 EDT Thursday, May 28) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases April jobs. Mace News median: 2.7% (range: 2.6% to 2.7%)vs. 2.7% in March after posting 2.6% in February. By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is expected to be little changed […]
Japan Government Still Sees Gradual Economic Recovery but Also Warns that High Import Costs, Tight Materials Supply to Weigh on Growth
–Some Economists Project Q2 GDP Dip as Effects of Mideast Conflict on Consumption, Capex to Become More Pronounced By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government is sticking to its gradual economic recovery scenario after the January-March GDP data confirmed a steady recovery from a mild slump two quarters earlier but officials continued to warn about […]
Japan Week Ahead: Consumer Inflation in Capital, Jobless Rate Seen Tame, Iran War Squeezing Factory Output, Retail Sales Sluggish on Falling Real Wages
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. The preliminary GDP data for the January-March quarter released last week showed the economy has overcome a temporary contraction recorded in July-September last year, thanks to rebounds in net exports and public works as well as sluggish but resilient private […]
BofA Global Research Fund Manager Survey: Global Investors Sharply Reduce Cash, Dive into Equities
–Long Global Semiconductors Seen as Most Crowded Trade By Vicki Schmelzer NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Global fund managers sharply reduced cash and dove into equities in May, according to the latest BofA Global Fund Managers survey, released Tuesday. The move was driven by “EPS optimism and a forecast of Fed rate cuts,” the survey said. […]
Japan Week Ahead: Q1 GDP to Show Modest Growth, March Trade Balance Set to Slip Back into Deficit, Consumer Inflation Tame
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. The first quarter GDP data is expected to show the economy has overcome a temporary contraction in the July-September quarter last year, led by sluggish but resilient consumer spending and solid business investment in digitization. The weak yen and higher […]
Inflation Making Fed Officials Increasingly Prone To Keep Funds Rate As Is, If Not Higher
– Schmid: Inflation ‘Most Pressing Risk To The Economy’ – Hammack: FOMC Must Make ‘Tough Tradeoffs” to Guarantee Low Inflation By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – With the war against Iran worsening price pressures in the United States, Federal Reserve officials are not only leaning toward keeping monetary policy on hold indefinitely, they seem increasingly […]
Forecast: Japan Q1 GDP Seen Extending Growth Streak as Public Investment, Exports Support Economy
By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japan’s real gross domestic product is projected to post a second consecutive quarter of growth in January-March, supported by firmer exports despite ongoing U.S. tariffs, while solid public investment, modest gains in private consumption and steady capital expenditure likely also contributed to growth. The economy is expected to expand […]
Japan Week Ahead: US Treasury Secretary Bessent Goes to Tokyo on Way to US-China Summit, Meeting PM Takaichi, Others, After Suspected Japan FX Intervention
–Household Spending Seen Sluggish amid Rising Costs, Producer Inflation Accelerating on Mideast Conflict By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese events for the coming week. Trading returns to normal after the Golden Week holidays that ended on Wednesday, May 6. Government policymakers have also returned from international meetings and diplomatic visits. The […]