Japan Apr Tokyo CPI Slip on Lower Mobile Phone User Fees

By Max Sato –Gasoline Prices on Clear Uptrend But Energy Costs Still Down on Year (MaceNews) – Consumer prices in Tokyo, a leading indicator of the national average, posted a slightly larger year-on-year drop in the core reading in April, compared to March, as mobile carriers lowered communications fees in response to a government request, […]

US 1Q GDP Technical Note – Breakdown of Key Elements

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following is the text of the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis technical note on the elements of the first quarter advance GDP report published Thursday: Gross Domestic Product, First Quarter 2021 (Advance Estimate)April 29, 2021 This technical note provides background information about the source data and estimating methods used to produce […]

Japan Mar CPI Drop Eases Further on Higher Gasoline Prices

By Max Sato –Hotel Fees Stop Falling Without Subsidized Discounts (MaceNews) – The recent pickup in energy markets eased downward pressure on Japanese consumer prices in March, data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication released Friday showed, but the outlook for growth and inflation remains uncertain amid a renewed spike in coronavirus infections […]

US Economy Roaring Back, But FOMC Not Ready To Respond … Yet

By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – The economy may be at “an inflection point,” as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has said, but monetary policy remains more reflexive than anything, which is to say he and his fellow Fed policymakers are still very much in emergency response mode, concentrating on helping the economy recover from […]

Saturday/Sunday Washington Schedules MaceNews

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The following are Saturday and Sunday schedules for the White House, Treasury, the State Department, Capitol Hill and for upcoming economic data and Federal Reserve events: The White House WEEKEND GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FORSATURDAY, APRIL 10, 2021 AND SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 2021 On Saturday and Sunday, the President has no public […]

US Data Preview: CPI, Retail Sales, Housing Starts

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – This current month and in May is when the inflation rate is finally going to hit the Fed’s target of 2% and we begin riding the “transitory” express, waiting for the ride back down. At least that’s what Federal Reserve Gov. Lael Brainard told us late last month about negative comps.  “The […]

Japan’s Consumer Sentiment Picks Up Amid Pandemic Uncertainty

By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The latest surveys by the government and the Bank of Japan point to some optimism about a recovery from the pandemic that has choked global growth for about a year, but the spread of coronavirus variants amid the slow rollout of vaccinations is clouding the outlook. The monthly Economy Watchers […]

FOMC Minutes Show Determination to Stay the Course and Stick With Message Until Outcomes Improve

WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The minutes of the most recent Federal Open Market Committee released Wednesday only reinforced the central bank’s pandemic-era’s message, that it is standing pat on its highly accommodative stance until employment has fully recovered while it carefully monitors the Treasuries market for signs of stress. Government pandemic relief is hastening recovery, several […]