Consumer Sentiment Rises As Exports Slump - But Where, Oh Where Is The Recovery?

Japan put in a pretty negative export performance in May. Even shipments to China show little sign of improvement, and the general impression is that hopes for a quick recovery in global demand are looking very premature.On the other hand a 42 per cent year-on-year fall in imports in May left Japan with a trade surplus of Y299.8bn for the month - something that will help push gross domestic

Facebook Links

Quietly clicking my way through Bloomberg last Sunday afternoon, I came across this:Facebook Members Register Names at 550 a SecondFacebook Inc., the world’s largest social-networking site, said members registered new user names at a rate of more than 550 a second after the company offered people the chance to claim a personalized Web address.Facebook started accepted registrations at midnight

Japanese nationals and $135 billion

Border bust equals possible international incident-missing TARP funds?I have written a bit regarding this at the above link...a developing story worth at least a glance.Scott

No "Green Shoots" Here - German and Japanese Capital Goods Output Continues Its Fall

Well, as I was busying myself yesterday scratching around looking for green shoots in Turkey. I couldn't help notice this coming in over the radar from Germany, courtesy of Bloomberg:German exports fell more than economists forecast in April as the global crisis restrained demand, keeping Europe’s largest economy mired in a recession. Sales abroad, adjusted for working days and seasonal changes,

Bernanke Choppers make an appearance...in Japan

The facetious title of this piece refers of course to US Federal Reserve chairman Benjamin Bernanke's well known reference to dropping bundles of cash from helicopters as a last resort to fight deflation.Edward Hugh noted in the previous post here that "The government...have begun distributing 12,000 yen ($125) to each resident in March to encourage spending." I've found a few reactions to this