Japan Data Response Industrial Production & Retail Sales (Jan.) The jumps in both industrial production and the value of retail sales in January look good but the former was smaller than expected and the latter was flattered by higher prices for food and fuel... 28th February 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response External Trade (Jan.) Unexpected weakness in exports and a pick-up in imports resulted in a rare trade deficit (before seasonal adjustment) in January. The consensus view that GDP will quickly rebound from the fall in the... 23rd February 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response GDP (Q4 Preliminary) The 0.3% q/q (1.1% annualised) contraction in Japan's GDP in the final quarter of2010 was smaller than expected (consensus -0.5%, CE forecast -0.7%). However, the figure for Q4 was made to look less... 14th February 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Consumer Confidence (Jan.) Japanese consumers checked their pessimism in January . Nonetheless, consumer confidence and its key components remain relatively subdued. With the scope for further fiscal stimulus now largely... 9th February 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Economy Watchers Survey (Jan.) The decline in the current conditions component of the Economy Watchers Survey (EWS) in January suggests that activity remained weak at the start of the first quarter after the likely contraction in... 8th February 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Industrial Production (Dec.) and PMI (Jan.) The December production survey and the January manufacturing PMI confirm that the industrial sector at least began 2011 strongly. However, much of the new output is simply being added to inventories... 31st January 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Unemployment & Retail Sales (Dec.) The fall in unemployment in December is obviously welcome but the big story is the collapse in retail sales. After the better news on exports yesterday, the risks to our preiiminary forecast of a 0.6%... 28th January 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response External Trade (Dec.) Exports ended 2010 strongly but they still fell in the final quarter and net trade is likely to be another negative for Q4 GDP. 27th January 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Small Business Confidence (Jan.) Conditions faced by smaller Japanese businesses appear to have stopped deteriorating but remain more difficult than the recent peaks seen in mid-2010. What’s more, the detail of the latest survey... 26th January 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Consumer Confidence (Dec.) Japanese consumers' gloom deepened in December, in line with our expectations but in contrast both to the consensus and to the more positive tone in the equity market. The deterioration in confidence... 17th January 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Machinery Orders (Nov.) The November data show that machinery orders were on track to fall in the fourth quarter of last year, suggesting that investment will have declined too. Hopes that a continued recovery in business... 13th January 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Economy Watchers Survey (Dec.) The Economy Watchers Survey (EWS) suggests that the recovery may have regained some momentum in December, but the outlook component is still weaker than current conditions and both are well below the... 12th January 2011 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response External Trade (Nov) The pick-up in the year-on-year growth rate of exports in November may look encouraging but exports are heading for a big quarterly fall. What's more, imports are relatively buoyant, meaning net trade... 22nd December 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Tankan Survey (Dec.) The Bank of Japan's quarterly Tankan survey confirmed that the recovery is fading, with small businesses struggling and investment demand still weak. 15th December 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Consumer Confidence (Nov.) Japanese consumers continued to turn more pessimistic in November, with confidence undermined by worries about the labour market and a reduced willingness to buy durable goods. The latter will almost... 10th December 2010 · 1 min read
Japan Data Response Economy Watchers Survey (Nov.) November's Economy Watchers Survey (EWS) suggests that conditions may not be quite as bad in the fourth quarter as some fear, although the outlook is cloudier. The weakness of machinery orders at the... 8th December 2010 · 1 min read
