Global Markets Update BoJ normalisation points to higher JGB yields & stronger yen We think the Bank of Japan’s continued steps towards policy normalisation are consistent with somewhat higher JGB yields and a significant rebound in the yen over the coming quarters. In view of the... 2nd November 2023 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Bank will end negative interest rates in early-2024 The Bank of Japan today de facto abolished Yield Curve Control and we think policymakers will call time on negative interest rates as soon as January. 31st October 2023 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Shunto will result in base pay hike well above 2% Japan’s trade unions are demanding an even larger pay hike in the upcoming spring wage negotiations and we believe that the talks will result in a base pay hike of around 2.5%. While the Bank of Japan... 20th October 2023 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Labour market should tighten again before long The job-to-applicant ratio has usually signalled earlier than the Tankan that the labour market has taken a turn for the worse. But despite the recent fall in the number of jobs relative to applicants... 16th October 2023 · 2 mins read
Japan Economics Update What do higher rates mean for the BoJ’s finances? Any fall in bond prices resulting from higher bond yields won’t affect the BoJ’s balance sheet unless the Bank decides to sell its holdings. By contrast, rising interest payments on commercial banks’... 10th October 2023 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update How a surge in bond yields could yet wreak havoc We expect any rise in bond yields to be gradual and don’t believe it will create major economic or market dislocation. But there are risks that the Bank of Japan loses control over longer-term yields... 5th October 2023 · 6 mins read
Global Economics Update The bond market sell-off and the global economy The sell-off in bond markets has taken a breather today, helped in part by softer data on the US labour market. However, the scale of the moves over the past week has invoked comparisons to previous... 4th October 2023 · 6 mins read
Japan Economics Update The impact of tighter policy on financial stability By putting upward pressure on JGB yields and the yen, tighter monetary policy could lead to falls in the value of bonds and overseas assets held by Japanese investors. Insurance companies and pension... 3rd October 2023 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update End of Yield Curve Control won’t spell fiscal disaster The abandonment of Yield Curve Control would probably prompt the Bank of Japan to reduce its bloated holdings of government bonds, which could push up long-term bond yields. However, there are good... 25th September 2023 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Bank of Japan will call time on loose policy next year The Bank of Japan still sounded dovish when it kept policy settings unchanged today. But with inflation proving stickier than expected, we expect the Bank to lift its policy rate in January and have... 22nd September 2023 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update BoJ policy rate will settle at 0% in the long run The wage-setting behaviour of Japanese firms has changed over the last couple of years and to reflect this we’re revising our long-run inflation forecast from 0.5% to 1.0%. However, that would still... 19th September 2023 · 3 mins read
FX Markets Update Another look at the renminbi, the yen & FX intervention While policymakers’ efforts to prop up the renminbi and the yen alone are not enough to generate a lasting turnaround, they will probably do enough to buy time until US interest rate expectations and... 15th September 2023 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Is Japan experiencing greedflation? At first glance, the rise in corporate profits to a record-high last quarter suggests that greedy firms are driving up consumer prices. However, we still think that most of the increase in inflation... 5th September 2023 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Import cost lift to consumer prices has run its course We estimate that firms have now passed on all of the increase in import costs to consumer prices which suggests that inflation will slow sharply over the coming months. 22nd August 2023 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Fall in energy imports has further to run Most of the plunge in import volumes last quarter reflects lower energy imports. With the Ukraine war rekindling concerns about energy security and energy prices remaining stubbornly high, import... 15th August 2023 · 3 mins read
