More Than "A Whiff" Of Deflation In Japan

Well, as Claus pointed out in his last post, Japanese data is pretty much a mixed bag at the moment. Industrial output shot up in April, and the May PMI data suggested that the easing of manufacturing contraction continued in May. However household spending and retail sales fell, unemployment rose, and the CPI reading suggested the Japanese economy is once more getting itself firmly wedged in

Bits and Bobs on the Latest Data from Japan

By Claus Vistesen: CopenhagenIt appears that there is still some green shoots left in the news from Japan even though the underlying picture is one of deteriorating fundamentals. We learned recently how Q1 was absolutely horrid in Japan with out declining at an annualised 15.2% which, I a dread to say, are numbers normally reserved to the likes of the Baltics, Ukraine and Hungary [1]. The second

Japan Exports Flat In April

Japan’s external trade held steady in April, although since exports were up ever so slightly on March (13 trillion yen) while imports were down slightly (45 trillion yen) the country did post a slightly larger trade surplus than in March (69 trillion yen, over 10 trillion yen in March).Nontheless year on year the numbers, while slightly better than in previous months, still look horrible.

A case of need

where the need for markets for its industrial sector is causing Japanese leaders to reconsider a longstanding policy. Nikkei is reporting that the Japanese government has decided to lift its ban on arms exports by domestic companies."TOKYO (Nikkei)--The Japanese government decided Saturday to relax its rules on arms exports to allow more joint development and production of weapons with other

Japan's Economy Contracts At An Annualised 15.2% In The First Three Months Of 2009

Japan’s economy shrank at a record rate last quarter as exports collapsed and businesses drastically cut back on investment spending. Gross domestic product fell by an annualized 15.2 percent in the three months ended March 31, following a revised fourth- quarter drop of 14.4 percent, according to the Japanese Cabinet Office. The economy contracted 3.5 percent in the year ended March 31, the most

Japan's loss of AAA rating

The quote from Moody's is "Japan's credit profile is Aa2 The unified rating of Aa2 reflects Japan's considerable strengths. These include Japan's large domestic savings, a strong home bias on the part of its domestic financial institutions and institutional investors, relatively low holdings of government debt by foreign investors, and Japan's $1 trillion of official foreign exchange holdings.

Japanese Housewives Back in the Game?

By Claus VistesenI am sure all investors, analysts, and commentators have been tracking a wide range of indicators to gauge whether the shoots of green would continue to spark or whether it was merely a blip on the way down. Clearly, this has been and is a little more than a blip I think and for my own part, decisive evidence came today that things might have changed. I am of course

Japan's Economic Contraction Stabilises In March

Japan's contraction showed signs of easing in March, even though the recession has now set in for the duration, the deepest point may well have been passed. The ship may be stable, but it is still far from being right side up.Industrial Output Up On The MonthJapan's industrial output rose in March (more than anticipated), and showed the first gain in six months, suggesting that the steepness in