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☆ Bank of Japan may exit its negative rate policy next week. Here's what you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Clement Tan | In Clemtan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Speculation is swirling that the Bank of Japan may move to exit the world's last negative rate policy as early as next week, when policymakers gather for their March meeting. "We continue to expect that the BOJ will terminate NIRP in April," Goldman Sachs economists led by Tomohiro Ota wrote in a Tuesday note, referring to the negative interest rate policy. "While a March rate hike cannot be ruled out, we believe that the BOJ's communications at this juncture are not clear enough to justify assuming the March hike as the base case scenario." "The Bank of Japan has no right to keep monetary policy where [they are now]. The economy is not in any shape or form to have that ultra-loose monetary policy and quantitative easing, which we have been calling a major policy error," Amir Anvarzadeh, a market strategist at Asymmetric Advisors, told CNBC Tuesday.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Tomohiro Ota, Kazuo Ueda, Amir Anvarzadeh Organizations: Bank of Japan, Asymmetric Advisors, CNBC Locations: NIRP, Japan

☆ Japan averts technical recession as revised fourth-quarter data shows economy grew 0.4%
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Clement Tan | In Clemtan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Japan averted a technical recession as revised official data on Monday showed the economy returned to growth in the the October-December period last year. Japan's gross domestic product expanded 0.4% in the fourth quarter compared with a year earlier. Provisional data last month had showed GDP contracting 0.4%. The Japanese economy also expanded 0.1% in the fourth quarter from the previous three months, compared with the provisional data that showed a 0.1% contraction. The economy had shrunk 0.8% in the third quarter from the previous three months.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda Organizations: Provisional, Bank of Japan, Ministry of Finance, Reuters, Bank of Locations: Japan, Bank of Japan

☆ Will Nikkei's record-breaking rally sustain even as Japan's economy sputters?
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Lee Ying Shan | In Ying-Shan-Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Fuji and Tokyo skyline Jackyenjoyphotography | Moment | Getty ImagesJapan's Nikkei stock index has been on a record-breaking spree on the back of robust earnings and investor-friendly measures. But the country's ailing economy has experts divided over this sustainability of this rally. Japan's corporate governance reforms have been a key driver for the country's stock markets, Momma said, while stressing that stock indexes do not necessarily represent the entire economy that includes SMEs and households. SMEs are a critical lever in the Japanese economy, accounting for 70% of national employment and 50% of the country's economic growth. "Spillover from the global boom of AI-related stocks certainly helped Nikkei," Momma said.

Persons: Kazuo Momma, Momma, Sayuri Shirai, pare, Shirai, Phillip Colmar MRB Organizations: Nikkei, Mizuho Research, CNBC, Bank of Japan, Nvidia, Technology, Stock, Keio University, Bank of America, Phillip Colmar MRB Partners Locations: Fuji, Tokyo, Germany, Japan, U.S, China

☆ Dollar eases as Fed clues awaited; bitcoin hits 2-year high
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. one hundred dollar bills are being shown in this picture illustration taken in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 15, 2023. The U.S. dollar drifted weaker on Monday, pressured by lower Treasury yields, as traders waited for more crucial economic data for fresh clues on the timing of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. The U.S. dollar drifted weaker on Monday, pressured by lower Treasury yields, as traders waited for more crucial economic data for fresh clues on the timing of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. The euro was firm following Friday's 0.33% advance, with a European Central Bank, or ECB, policy decision looming on Thursday. That also weighed on Treasury yields, removing additional support for the dollar, with the benchmark 10-year yield sliding as low as 4.178% for the first time in two weeks.

Persons: Bias, Jerome Powell's, Kazuo Ueda, Hajime Takata, Christine Lagarde's, Bitcoin Organizations: U.S, European Central Bank, Bank of, Treasury, Congress, Westpac, ECB Locations: Buenos Aires, Argentina

☆ Dollar steady as traders ponder Fed rate cut bets; yen shaky at 150 per dollar
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar was steady on Friday after data showed U.S. inflation remained sticky but easing gradually, keeping alive the chance of the Federal Reserve cutting rates in June, while the yen slid back to the key 150 per dollar level. The data showed U.S. prices picked up in January in line with expectations, while annual inflation slipped to the lowest in three years. Takata's comments stoked expectations that the central bank could end negative rates in March rather than the widely held view of a move in April. The contrasting comments are likely to keep investors guessing about the next move from the central bank. The Australian dollar rose 0.08% to $0.65025, while the New Zealand dollar was little changed at $0.6088.

Persons: Raphael Bostic, Hajime Takata, Kazuo Ueda Organizations: Federal Reserve, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Traders, Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank, Bank of Japan, New Zealand Locations: United States, U.S, Atlanta

☆ Japan slipped into a technical recession. The Bank of Japan has to juggle supporting the yen and fragile growth
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Clement Tan | In Clemtan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda is under pressure to stem yen depreciation driven by the divergence between high U.S. interest rates and Japan's ultra easy policy. Yet, he is also constricted by high inflation that BOJ policymakers still deem unsustainable, even as it crimped domestic demand and tipped the economy into a technical recession. She previously served as a member of BOJ policy board from 2011 to 2016, helping to make monetary policy decisions. At its January meeting, the BOJ decided unanimously to keep short-term interest rates at -0.1%. BOJ policymakers have been cautious and fastidious with their primary task: reflating an economy that's been mired in decades of deflationary pressures.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Sayuri Shirai, CNBC's, dousing, BOJ, Shirai Organizations: Istock, Getty, Bank of Japan, Germany, Keio University Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Concerns over sluggish U.S. consumer spending
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

(Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)This report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Shares of most of those artificial intelligence companies soared on Thursday, reflecting investors' strong interest to ride on Nvidia's AI growth story. [PRO] Asia's AI standoutsGiven the artificial intelligence boom, Morgan Stanley picked stocks it called "underappreciated beneficiaries" in Asia-Pacific. The biggest share of AI beneficiaries in Asia and emerging markets were found in IT and communications, the bank said.

Persons: ANDREW CABALLERO, REYNOLDS, BOJ, Kazuo Ueda, Tesla, Jim Farley, It's, Morgan Stanley Organizations: Pentagon, AFP, Getty, CNBC, Nikkei, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Bank of Japan, U.S, Ford Ford, Ford Pro Locations: Arlington , Virginia, Asia, Pacific, Germany, Japan, Riding

☆ Dollar reigns supreme as hot CPI cools bets for Fed cuts
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this photo illustration, the man is holding several U.S. dollar bills with some Chinese yuan in the background. The dollar traded near three-month highs to major peers on Wednesday as traders pushed back bets for a first Federal Reserve interest rate cut following surprisingly hot U.S. inflation figures overnight. The dollar has added about 10 yen in price since the start of this year. The euro was steady at $1.0710, after dipping to a three-month low of $1.07005 overnight. The Australian dollar languished near a three-month low of $0.6443 reached overnight, last trading at $0.64545.

Persons: James Kniveton, Kazuo Ueda, Kniveton, Masato Kanda, cryptocurrency bitcoin, bitcoin, Craig Erlam Organizations: Fed, Traders, Bank of Japan, Treasury, Bank of England, Australian, U.S, CPI, OANDA Locations: U.S

☆ Japan's stock markets are on a tear. Will 'zombie’ firms threaten the bull run?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-09 | by ( Lim Hui Jie | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

What are zombie companies? Japan's "zombie" problem has been around for a long time, said William Pesek, author of the book "Japanization: What the World Can Learn from Japan's Lost Decades." Raising the borrowing cost will put these zombie companies at risk of bankruptcy and bailouts, which could have a broader impact on the economy if there are job losses. "But the aid program has led to an increase in the number of 'zombie' companies that would otherwise have been unable to continue operating," the report added. Japan's stock markets have also been testing new highs since 2023, and higher interest rates could halt the bull run.

Persons: Adam Pretty, William Pesek, we've, Pesek, CNBC's Martin Soong, Warren Buffett's, Warren Buffett, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda Organizations: Getty, Bank of Japan, Tide, Asia Times, Japan Times, CNBC, Nikkei Locations: TOKYO, JAPAN, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, Japan, Asia

☆ Dollar treads water ahead of U.S. GDP; ECB meeting in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Traders have been consolidating positions ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting next week. The report is, however, likely to show that the U.S. avoided a recession in 2023 and is expected to show moderating inflation in the last quarter, stoking expectations of rate cuts sometime in the first half of 2024. Other U.S. data this week includes the Fed's favourite gauge of inflation - the personal consumption expenditure (PCE) data - on Friday. The move from the central bank comes after a Bloomberg report earlier this week of a rescue package worth $278 billion to help stabilise the battered stock markets. The Australian dollar and the New Zealand dollar struggled to sustain a China-inspired rally earlier this week.

Persons: Kieran Williams, Jerome Powell, Kazuo Ueda Organizations: Central Bank, Traders, U.S, Asia FX, InTouch, ECB, Wednesday, Bloomberg, Australian, New Zealand, Aussie, Bank of, Bank of Japan Locations: Asia, U.S, China

☆ Dollar hovers near 6-week high on Fed view; yen edges up after BOJ
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-24 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Japanese yen , though, ticked higher as expectations rose for a stimulus exit as soon as March, following hawkish comments from the Bank of Japan on Tuesday. "We have seen ECB (European Central Bank) officials push back on rate cut expectations as well, in line with the Federal Reserve." The dollar declined 0.17% to 148.085 yen, after swinging from as low as 146.99 and as high as 148.70 on Tuesday. The Bank of Canada meets on policy on Wednesday, and is expected to leave its key overnight rate unchanged at a 22-year high of 5%. Traders have unwound bullish positions built up in anticipation of U.S. approval of the country's first spot bitcoin exchange traded fund (ETF).

Persons: Mary Daly, Christopher Waller, James Kniveton, Christine Lagarde's, Sterling, Kazuo Ueda, China's, cryptocurrency, Bitcoin Organizations: Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, U.S, San Francisco Fed, ECB, European Central Bank, Bank of England, Bank of Canada, Bloomberg, Traders Locations: U.S

☆ Bank of Japan expectedly retains its ultra-loose policy, cuts core inflation estimate
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Bank of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda gestures as he speaks during a press conference following a monetary policy meeting at the Bank of Japan's headquarters in Tokyo on July 28, 2023. The Bank of Japan on July 28 eased its grip on its ultra-loose monetary policy in a small step towards normalisation as inflation accelerates and the yen comes under pressure against other major currencies. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT (Photo by STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images)The Bank of Japan expectedly retained its ultra-loose monetary policy at its first meeting this year, while cutting its core inflation forecast for the next fiscal year. All the economists surveyed by Reuters expected the Japanese central bank to maintain its negative rate policy this month — making the BOJ the world's only central bank with negative rates. The central bank also marginally increased the core CPI inflation estimate for fiscal 2025 to 1.8% from 1.7% forecast earlier.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Bank of Japan expectedly, BOJ Organizations: Japan, Bank of Japan's, The Bank of Japan, JIJI Press, Getty, Bank of Japan, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, AFP, Japan

☆ BOJ's Noguchi: Japan yet to achieve wage-driven rise in inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Japanese national flag is hoisted atop the headquarters of Bank of Japan in Tokyo, Japan September 20, 2023. "It's true the impact of elevated global inflation is reaching Japan's economy with consumer inflation exceeding the BOJ's 2% target since the spring of 2022," Noguchi said, according to the text of his speech posted on the BOJ's website. "But the rise (in inflation) is mostly due to cost-push factors amid higher import prices," contrary to the wage-driven price increases seen in the United States and Europe, he said. "To achieve our 2% inflation target, we must see price rises backed by sustained wage increases," Noguchi said. With inflation exceeding the BOJ's 2% target for more than a year, market expectations are heightening that the central bank will exit ultra-loose monetary policy next year.

Persons: Issei Kato, Asahi Noguchi, Noguchi, we've, Kazuo Ueda, Leika, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, United States, Europe

TOKYO (AP) — A U.S. military Osprey aircraft carrying eight people crashed Wednesday into the sea off southern Japan, and the Japanese coast guard is heading to the site for search and rescue operations, officials said. Details about what happened to the Osprey and to the people on board were not immediately known, coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said. The coast guard received an emergency call from a fishing boat near the crash site off Yakushima, an island south of Kagoshima on the southern main island of Kyushu, he said. Political Cartoons View All 1270 ImagesA U.S. Marine Corps Osprey aircraft with 23 Marines aboard crashed on a north Australian island in August, killing at least three and critically injuring at least five during a multinational training exercise. There have been at least five fatal crashes of Marine Ospreys since 2012, causing a total of at least 19 deaths.

Persons: Kazuo Ogawa Organizations: TOKYO, —, Osprey, U.S . Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, . Marine Corps, Marines, Marine Ospreys Locations: U.S, Japan, Kagoshima, Kyushu, Iwakuni, Okinawa

TOKYO (AP) — Japan plans to suspend its own Osprey flights after a U.S. Air Force Osprey based in Japan crashed into waters off the southern coast during a training mission, officials said Thursday. A U.S. Air Force Osprey based in Japan crashed during a training mission Wednesday off of the country’s southern coast, killing at least one of the eight crew members. The cause of the crash and the status of the seven others on board were not immediately known, Japanese coast guard spokesperson Kazuo Ogawa said. Coast guard aircraft and patrol boats found one male crew member, who was later pronounced dead by a doctor, Ogawa said. While the U.S. Marine Corps flies most of the Ospreys based in Japan, the Air Force also has some deployed there.

Persons: Taro Yamato, Kazuo Ogawa, Denny Tamaki, Ogawa, Hirokazu Matsuno, Hiroyuki Miyazawa, ___ Copp Organizations: TOKYO, U.S . Air Force, Ospreys, Defense Ministry, Gov, NHK, U.S . Air Force Special, Command, Yokota Air Base, 353rd, Operations, U.S . Marine Corps Air, Iwakuni, Kadena Air Base, Japanese, Defense, U.S . Forces Japan, Fifth Air Force, Yokota, U.S . Marine Corps, Air Force, Air Force Special Operations Command, Osprey, Marine Corps, Navy, Marine Corps Osprey, U.S . Marine, Marines Locations: Japan, Tokyo, U.S, Okinawa, Kagoshima, Kyushu, Coast, Yakushima, Yamaguchi prefecture, Australian, Washington

☆ Japan's price trend gauge hits record, heightens case for BOJ exit
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 2.2% year-on-year increase in the weighted median inflation rate, which is closely watched as an indicator on whether price rises are broadening, followed a 2.0% gain in September. It was the fastest rise since comparable data became available in 2001, Bank of Japan (BOJ) data showed. The data will be among the factors the BOJ will scrutinise at its next policy-setting meeting on Dec. 18-19. The weighted median is the inflation rate of items at the middle of the price changes, or around the 50th percentile point of the distribution. Unlike the consumer price index (CPI), which is swayed by fuel and energy costs, the weighted median inflation rate is useful to trace how widely prices are rising.

Persons: Issei Kato, Kazuo Ueda, Leika Kihara, Kim Coghill Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Bank

☆ BOJ's Ueda: Cannot say with conviction inflation will hit 2% target sustainably
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda attends a news conference after their policy meeting at BOJ headquarters in Tokyo, Japan April 28, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Monday the central bank cannot say yet with conviction that inflation will sustainably and stably achieve its 2% inflation target. "We're seeing some positive signs in wages and inflation. But there's high uncertainty on whether this cycle will strengthen," Ueda told parliament. Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Issei Kato, Ueda, Leika Kihara, Tom Hogue Organizations: of Japan, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan's corporate service inflation climbs in sign of broadening price pressures
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Japan's business-to-business service inflation accelerated in October as a tight job market lifted labour costs, underscoring a broadening of price pressures that could heighten the chance of a near-term end to ultra-loose monetary policy. The services producer price index, which measures the price companies charge each other for services, rose 2.3% in October from a year earlier, up from a revised 2.0% gain in September, Bank of Japan (BOJ) data showed on Monday. Information and communication, machinery repair and worker dispatching businesses saw fees increase from year-earlier levels due to higher labour costs. The data suggest Japan's economy is making progress towards achieving sustained rises in inflation accompanied by solid wage growth. His remarks have heightened market attention to developments in services prices, which most vividly reflect wages pressures companies face in their businesses.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Leika Kihara, Lisa Shumaker, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: Bank of Japan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ BOJ to end negative interest rates in 2024, over 80% of economists say: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Satoshi Sugiyama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

While none of 26 economists predicted changes in the upcoming December BOJ meeting, many foresaw the negative rate policy, which has set Japan's short-term deposit rate at minus 0.1%, would reach the end of the line next year. In the Nov. 15-20 poll, 22 of 26, or 85%, of economists said the BOJ would end the policy by the end of next year. Having watered down YCC, the BOJ's next focus is to end its negative interest rate policy and push short-term rates to zero, sources previously told Reuters. Close to 85% of poll respondents forecast the BOJ would end its YCC policy, while the rest said it would tweak the scheme again, the poll found. EYES ON NEXT YEAROf 22 economists in the poll who chose 2024 for the end of negative rates, more than a half, 12, opted for the April 25-26 meeting.

Persons: Issei Kato, Kazuo Ueda, Mitsubishi UFJ, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley, Hiroshi Namioka, Namioka, Fumio Kishida's, Chiyuki Takamatsu, Satoshi Sugiyama, Veronica Khongwir, Sujith Pai, Sam Holmes Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of, Reuters, Capital, Research Institute, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, D, Management, Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Bank of Japan

"Given the fast-changing landscape, I believe those who move fast (with wage hikes) should become competitive." A demand made this year by Rengo, Japan's largest trade union confederation, for pay hikes of "around 5%" resulted in average wage hikes of 3.58% among major companies. Six out of 10 economists in a Reuters poll expect major firms' pay hikes in 2024 to exceed this year's. The key, however, would be whether wage hikes broaden to smaller firms and those in the regional areas. A report by the BOJ's regional branch managers in October warned wage hikes remained uneven among sectors with many firms undecided on next year's pay increments.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Takeshi Niinami, Fumio, Kazuo Ueda, Hisashi Yamada, Rengo, Atsushi Takeda, Kishida, Keita Kondo, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Kentaro Sugiyama, Sam Holmes, Leika Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Suntory Holdings Ltd, Reuters, Meiji, Life Insurance, Suntory Holdings, Bank, Japan, Hosei University, OECD, UA Zensen, Itochu Economic Research Institute, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Ukraine, Saitama

The Shanghai Composite index edged 0.1% higher to 3,054.37. Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.2% and the Sensex in Mumbai fell 0.1%. Wall Street’s stocks drifted to a mixed finish Thursday as market momentum slowed following the sizzling rally of the first half of November. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.1% to 34,945.47, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.1% to 14,113.67. Stocks in the oil-and-gas industry swooned after the price of crude tumbled sharply to its lowest level since July.

Persons: Seng, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Australia’s, Taiwan’s Taiex, ” Yeap Jun Rong, IG, Macy’s, Sonos, Stocks, Halliburton, Brent Organizations: Nikkei, Bank of Japan Gov, U.S, U.S ., Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Walmart, Cisco Systems, Marathon Petroleum Locations: HONG KONG, U.S, New York, Shanghai, South Korea, Mumbai

☆ BOJ will debate easy-policy exit when inflation nears target -Gov Ueda
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda attends a news conference after their policy meeting at BOJ headquarters in Tokyo, Japan April 28, 2023. The fate of the central bank's purchases and holdings of exchange-traded funds (ETF) will also be discussed as and when the BOJ considers an exit from ultra-loose policy, he added. "We will consider ending yield curve control and negative interest rates if we can expect inflation to stably and sustainably meet our 2% target," Ueda told a semi-annual testimony to parliament on Friday. "Trend inflation is likely to gradually accelerate toward our 2% inflation target through fiscal 2025. "If achievement of our price target approaches, we will discuss a strategy and guidelines for exiting ultra-loose policy," including the fate of its ETF holdings, Ueda said.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Issei Kato, Ueda, Leika, Shri Navaratnam, Sam Holmes Organizations: of Japan, REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO

☆ Japan's economy shrinks far more than expected in third quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Japan's economy shrank way more than expected in the July-September period, provisional government data showed Wednesday, amid slowing global demand and rising domestic inflation. Provisional gross domestic product fell 2.1% in the third quarter compared to a year ago, after expanding 4.8% in April-June. The world's third-largest economy also contracted 0.5% in the third quarter from the previous quarter, after expanding 1.2% in the second quarter from the first. The weaker GDP print was partly driven by weaker than expected domestic capital expenditure, which contracted 0.6% in the third quarter from the second quarter — as opposed to expectations for a 0.3% expansion, according to the same government release. Private consumption in Japan was flat in the third quarter from the previous quarter, as domestic and foreign demand weighed on the economy.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda Organizations: Bank of Japan Locations: Japan

☆ BOJ's hawkish rhetoric signals chance negative rates may end soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Having watered down YCC at its last policy meeting, the BOJ's next goal is to pull short-term rates out of negative territory early next year, sources have told Reuters. That leaves open the chance of an policy change in January, when the BOJ next reviews its quarterly price forecasts. Most expect an end to both YCC and negative rates. "It's an awfully big upgrade and shows how the BOJ had made estimates that were way too low," said former BOJ top economist Hideo Hayakawa, who expects negative rates to end in April. Even if it ends negative rates, nominal short-term borrowing costs will remain well below levels that neither stimulate nor cool the economy - estimated by analysts to stand somewhere near 2%.

Persons: Issei Kato, Ueda, Kazuo Ueda's, Haruhiko Kuroda, Kuroda, Mari Iwashita, Hideo Hayakawa, Takahide, Leika Kihara, Takahiko Wada, Sam Holmes Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Daiwa Securities, Japan Center for Economic Research, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, U.S

OXFORD, England (AP) — Fans of Philip Pullman have been waiting almost five years for the final instalment in the author’s sextet of books about his intrepid heroine Lyra and her adventures in multiple worlds. “I haven’t got a title yet,” Pullman told The Associated Press in his home city of Oxford, where he was honored Thursday with the Bodley Medal. I haven’t found the right title yet — but I will.”The medal, awarded by Oxford University’s 400-year-old Bodleian Libraries, honors contributions to literature, media or science. Pullman says the next book will be his final foray into Lyra’s world -– though he also said that after the first trilogy, only to be tempted back. “There are other things I want to do,” including a book about words and images and how they work together on the imagination.

Persons: Philip Pullman, Lyra, haven’t, ” Pullman, Bodley, ”, Tim Berners, Lee, Stephen Hawking, Hilary, Kazuo Ishiguro, Zadie Smith, Colm Tóibín, Pullman, Canterbury Rowan Williams, “, Pullman’s, Philip doesn’t, ” Williams Organizations: OXFORD, Associated Press, Oxford, HBO, “ Locations: England, Oxford, Pullman, Canada, United States

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