Japan PM Kishida Says He Will Not Seek Re-Election at LDP Leadership Convention Next Month, Hoping to Calm Voter Rage Over Political Funding Scandal
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday announced that he will not seek re-election at the Liberal Democratic Party leadership convention in late September, taking the blame for widespread political funding scandals at the ruling party, a key factor behind sluggish voter support for the administration. Kishida, 67, will step […]
Japan Government Keeps Its View on Economic Recovery amid Wage Hikes, Warns of Drag from High US, European Rates, China’s Real-Estate Woes
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s government maintained its overall assessment that the economy is recovering “moderately” and is likely to stay on course as many firms are raising wages at a higher pace to secure workers and although exports are now largely flat. In its monthly report released Thursday by the Cabinet Office, the […]
Italy Eyes More Medium-Long Bonds to Lengthen Debt Life – Sources
According to Rome’s government that has carried out several surveys, longer maturities appeal to Italian families as they tend to have lots of savings they prefer to invest in long term investments, and trust the state to hold their money more than banks. “The era of zero rates is over, which means that the cost […]
US June ISM Manufacturing in Contraction for 3rd Straight Month as Demand Remains Weak amid High Interest Rates
–ISM Manufacturing Index Dips to 48.5 from 48.7 in May, Below Median Forecast of 49.1–ISM’s Fiore: Biggest Concern in June Report is over Falling Production–Fiore: Employment Unlikely to Expand Without Significant Pickup in Demand–Fiore: Manufacturing Still ‘Stable’ During Summer Months When Activity Slows Down By Max Sato (MaceNews) – U.S. manufacturing activity was in contraction […]
Japan May Export Rise Led by Automobiles, Semiconductors as in April; Trade Balance in Deficit for 2nd Straight Month
–Imports Up on Higher Demand for Crude Oil, Products, Computers; Chips Down–Exports to China Post 6th Straight Y/Y Rise, Picking Up from Last Year’s Slump–Exports to US Remain Robust; Those to EU Mark 2nd Straight Y/Y Slip By Max Sato (MaceNews) –Japanese export values rose 13.5% on year in May for the sixth straight increase, […]
INTERVIEW: Ex-BOJ Policymaker Kiuchi Sees Flexible JGB Purchase Program as Fine-Tuning Tool, Expects Only Gradual Rate Hikes to Below 1%
By Max Sato TOKYO (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan is likely to maintain its “flexible” Japanese government bond purchase program as a “fine-tuning tool” so it can respond to both upside and downside risks to growth and inflation, instead of clearly reducing JGB buying from the current monthly pace of about ¥6 trillion, Takahide […]
FOMC Holds Funds Rate Steady; No Rate Cut Til Confident Inflation Headed to 2%
–Fed Officials Project Single 25 BP Rate Cuts in 2024 –Powell Calls CPI ‘Encouraging,’ But Wants More Data To Gain ‘Confidence’ By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – The Federal Reserve’s policy making Federal Open Market Committee again held the federal funds rate steady Wednesday and gave no indication it will be cutting that key money […]
TRANSCRIPT: Fed’s Powell Says Waiting for Better Inflation Data, In Addition to ‘Encouraging’ CPI Report
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s bottom line is that more inflation data is needed before any rate cuts regardless of the “dot plot” and regardless of the day’s encouraging Consumer Price Index report. The transcript of his post-FOMC news conference follows: Inflation has eased substantially from a peak of 7% to 2.7% […]
FOMC Stands Pat Hints of More Hawkish Stance; ‘Dot Plot’ Sees One Rate Cut This Year
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Open Market Committee kept the fed funds rate as is again this time around while the “dot plot” projections that accompanied the policy statement contained hints of a slightly more hawkish stance, seeing just one rate cut this year. The statement text, with no dissents, follows: Recent indicators suggest that […]
Italy’s Premier Meloni Tops Italian Rivals in EU Vote, Key to New European Power Balance
Italy’s Meloni gets boost in EU elections