Preview: Bank of Canada Set to Pause for 3rd Straight Meeting amid Sticky Core Inflation, Uncertainty over US Trade Row Impact on Growth, Costs
–BOC Widely Expected to Keep Policy Rate at 2.75% Wednesday After 7 Rate Cuts Totaling 225 Basis Points from June 2024 Until March 2025–Focus is on Whether Bank will Continue to ‘Proceed Carefully’ and Remain ‘Less Forward-Looking Than Usual’ By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Canada is widely expected to maintain its policy […]
Japan Weekahead: PM Ishiba’s Fate Up in the Air After His Minority Government Suffers Setback in Upper House Election; BOJ to Stand Pat as Trade Rows Cloud Growth Outlook
–June Industrial Output Seen Flat, Retail Sales Sluggish, Setting Soft Tone for Q2 GDP Due August 15–June Jobless Rate to Remain Low and Stable at 2.5%, Job Creation Continues for Nearly 3 Years amid Labor Shortages By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese economic and political events for the coming week. Prime […]
Report: Japan PM Ishiba to Step Down by end-August to Take the Blame for Historic Election Loss; Ishiba Stresses US Trade Accord Mutually Beneficial
–Mainichi Exclusive: Resignation May Come Sooner Amid Calls from Within Ruling Party, Opposition Camp By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has decided to step down by the end of August after leading the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to a historic defeat in Sunday’s Upper House election, the Mainichi Shimbun daily reported […]
Japan’s Ruling Coalition Loses Majority in Upper House After Last Year’s Loss in Lower Chamber Election; PM Ishiba Leadership in Question amid Voter Ire Over Inflation, Political Scandals
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s ruling coalition failed to clinch a majority in Sunday’s upper house elections, as widely expected, amid voter frustration over rising costs of living and a string of political funding scandals, just nine months after it lost a majority in the more powerful lower chamber of parliament. It is the […]
Japan Weekahead: Ruling Coalition May Lose in Upper House Election; Tokyo CPI to Show Further Easing but Inflation Seen Still around 3% Amid High Processed Food Prices
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese economic and political events for the coming week. – Sunday, July 20 Voting and vote counting for the House of Councillors general elections. Opinion polls show the ruling coalition led by the conservative Liberal Democratic Party may lose a majority in the upper house, which […]
Preview: Bank of Japan Q2 Tankan to Show Business Sentiment Slipped as Trump Tariffs Hit Auto, Metal Industries, High Costs Slow Consumers Spending
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan’s quarterly Tankan business survey is forecast to show confidence was flat or deteriorated in most categories in the June quarter, hit by Trump tariffs on vehicles, metals and other goods, with automakers lowering export prices to pay for higher import costs for U.S. customers, according to […]
Fed’s Powell Allows For Rate Cuts ‘Sooner Rather Than Later” – If Inflation Behaves
– Repeats FOMC Can Afford to Wait and Be Careful Amid Great Uncertainty – Says FOMC Must Be ‘Careful”; Doesn’t Need To Be ‘In Any Rush’ By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell reiterated his belief that the Fed can afford to wait for more evidence on inflation and labor market […]
Japan Week Ahead: PM Ishiba in Rough Waters amid High Costs After Ruling LDP’s Tokyo Assembly Poll Setback Ahead of Upper House Election Next Month
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese economic and political events for the coming week following no change in the Bank of Japan’s policy interest rate and a slower tapering pace for the bank’s government bond purchases in fiscal 2026. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party suffered a setback in Sunday’s Tokyo assembly […]
FOMC: MINIMAL CHANGE IN OUTLOOK; STILL SEE TWO RATE CUTS THIS YEAR BUT SOMEWHAT LESS SO
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The Federal Open Market Committee Wednesday made only minuscule adjustments to its outlook, still anticipating two rate cuts this year with slightly less enthusiasm. The Fed;s “dot plot” had seven participants seeing no rate moves this year while eight saw two rate cuts. Another two saw one rate cut. The FOMC’s economic […]
ISRAEL-IRAN UPDATE: Pres Trump Gathers Advisers, Says Iran’s Supreme Leader Safe ‘For Now;’ Tells Tehran to Evacuate; Vance Says Action May Come
WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – There are signs Tuesday afternoon that President Trump is weighing whether to finish off Iran’s capability to produce nuclear weapons by authorizing the use of penetrating “Bunker Buster” bombs dropped by American pilots. Top advisers have been seen entering the White House with a meeting reported under way in the White House’s […]