MaceNewsViews: Commentary – Democrats Celebrating (Perhaps Fleeting) Victory

By Eric Ham WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – On Monday, President Biden will sign into law the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, a cornerstone of the president’s agenda, in a lavish ceremony with many supporters and even a few Republicans present. The bill provides billions for roads and bridges across the nation and much more, for instance […]

US House-Passed Infrastructure Bill Gets Presidential Signature in Coming Days

By Eric Ham WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – After months of wrangling and tense back-and-forth negotiations, the House of Representatives finally passed the $1.2 trillion infrastructure spending bill shortly before midnight Friday. Saturday morning President Biden hailed it as an inflection point toward winning “the competition of  the 21st century., The legislation passed 228-206 with 13 Republicans […]

Japan Oct Tokyo Core CPI Posts Only Small Gain, Led by Higher Energy Costs

— Electricity Charges, Gasoline Prices Pick Up Pace of Y/Y Gains— Mobile Communication Fees Show Deeper Drop, Limiting CPI Rise By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The core reading of consumer prices in Tokyo, a leading indicator of the national average, posted the second consecutive but small year-over-year gain in October as higher electricity bills and […]

Japan Sept Factory Output Slumps; Autos, Others Hit by Supply Delays 

–Output Posts Larger-than-Expected M/M Drop, 1st Y/Y Fall in 7 Months–METI Keeps View After Downgrade Last Month: Factory Output Pausing–METI Repeats: Watch Effects of Rising COVID Cases, Global Chip Shortages By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Japan’s industrial production posted the third straight monthly decline in September, coming in weaker than expected, as protracted global semiconductor […]

US FCC Targeting More Chinese Telecom Companies

By Eric Ham WASHINGTON (MaceNews) – The United States continues its crackdown on Chinese Telecom companies that began with severe U.S.restrictions imposed on commerce with Huawei. China Telecom, the largest Chinese telecommunications company, Tuesday had its license revoked by the Federal Communications Commission after operating in the United States for almost 20 years. The FCC […]

Eurozone Economic Sentiment Unexpectedly Rose in October

ZURICH (MaceNews) – Economic confidence in the countries sharing the Euro rose unexpectedly in October, up 0.8 points to 118.6 from 117.8 in September, according to the latest date from the European Commission. Economists had been expecting a pullback in sentiment according to the median forecast of 117.1 in an Econoday survey of economists’ forecasts. […]

Bank of Canada Sees Rate Hike in Mid-2022, Earlier Than Forecast Before

–BOC Brings Forward Rate Hike Timing From 2nd Half 2022 on Economic Pickup–BOC Revises Up 2022 CPI Forecast Sharply Higher, Slashes 2021 GDP Projection–Central Bank Keeps 0.25% Policy Rate As Expected But Ends Asset Purchases By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Canada left its record-low policy interest rate unchanged Wednesday but revised its […]

German Oct Business Confidence Dampened by Supply Delays

ZURICH (MaceNews) – Business confidence in Germany was hampered by supply delays, according to the latest report from the Munich-based Ifo institute. The IFO Business Climate Index fell to 97.7 in October, slightly below the Econoday median of 98.1 in a survey of economists’ forecasts. The September result was revised to 98.9, from the 98.8 […]