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 […]
– FOMC Vice Chair Williams: ‘Modestly Restrictive’ Policy ‘Entirely Appropriate’ – Kugler, Collins, Logan, Hammack, Daly Also Back Delaying Monetary Easing By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Unfazed by White House pressure, Federal Reserve officials have reasserted their intention to take a cautious and deliberate approach to considering additional interest rate reductions cuts this week. […]
BofA Global Research Fund Manager Survey: Investors Bullish Despite Tariff Uncertainty
By Vicki Schmelzer NEW YORK (MaceNews) – Global investors maintained a bullish bent in July despite ongoing uncertainty about tariffs, according to BofA Global Research’s monthly fund manager survey, released Tuesday. A net 31% of those polled this month looked for a weaker global economy in the coming months. This compared to a net 46% […]
Japan Weekahead: Machinery Orders, Exports Seen Down as Trump Tariffs Hit Auto, Steel Makers; Inflation to Ease on Fuel Subsidies but Still Above 3% amid High Rice Prices
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese economic events for the coming week. Stiff U.S. tariffs on imports are having some cooling effects on the auto and steel industries as seen in recent production and trade data but not pushing the global or domestic economy into a tailspin. Inflation in Japan, now […]
Japan Weekahead: Fuel Subsidies, Softer Global Demand Seen Easing Producer Inflation Further While Real Wages Slow to Recover amid High Costs of Living
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese economic events for the coming week. In the previous week, the Bank of Japan’s quarterly business survey for June showed confidence among major manufacturers unexpectedly posted a slight pickup, led by steel mills, oil refineries and paper/pulp makers thanks to lower materials costs, while producers […]
Japan Household Spending Tops Expectations in May With 4.7% Rise From Year Ago, with Boost From Auto Sales
By Chikafumi Hodo TOKYO (MaceNews) – Japan’s household spending rose 4.7% in real terms in May from a year earlier, marking the first increase in two months and sharply beating market expectations. The reading reversed a 0.1% decline in April and outpaced the median forecast of a 1.1% gain. The stronger-than-expected recovery was paced by […]
Atlanta Fed’s Bostic Urges ‘Patience’ On Lowering Interest Rates
– Time of Great Uncertainty ‘No Time for Significant Shifts in Monetary Policy’ – Labor Market ‘Broadly Healthy’ But Deterioration Could Change Policy Prescription By Steven K. Beckner (MaceNews) – Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President Raphael Bostic called Thursday for “patience” in considering reductions in interest rates. Bostic, who has previously projected just a single […]
US ISM Manufacturing Stays in Contraction in June as Uncertainty Over Trade Conflicts Keeps Firms on Sidelines, Leading to Weak Demand, More Layoffs
–ISM Manufacturing Index at 49.0 Vs. 48.5 in May, Consensus at 48.8–ISM’s Spence: Production Up but Still Fragile, New Orders Falling–Spence: Orders Unlikely to Pick Up Until Trade, Geopolitical Risks Wane By Max Sato (MaceNews) – U.S. manufacturing activity was in contraction for the fourth straight month in June as the uncertainty over protectionist U.S. […]
Japan Weekahead: Feeling Drag from Trump Tariffs, High Costs of Living in Key Economic Data
By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Here are the key Japanese economic events later this week. There is optimism in financial markets that the global trade war may be resolved through negotiations, but protectionist U.S. trade policy remains unpredictable and geopolitical risks have been heightened. Japanese automakers have lowered prices for their U.S. customers to cover […]