Japan Economics Update BoJ will lift rates to 2% by end-2027 The Bank of Japan hiked its policy rate to a three decade high today and signalled less concern about downside risks to activity resulting from the Iran War. With inflation set to pick up as higher... 16th June 2026 · 3 mins read
Asset Allocation Update Japanese capital repatriation still not a big threat Despite soaring JGB yields, we don’t think global markets have much to fear from a rush of Japanese capital repatriation. 28th May 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Could the BoJ lift rates into restrictive territory? The inflationary consequences of the Iran War have made us more confident in our view that the BoJ’s policy rate will climb to a neutral level of around 2% before long. However, the hurdles for the... 26th May 2026 · 5 mins read
Bonds Update The JGB selloff is nearing a crucial point While FX intervention dominated the headlines a couple of weeks ago, Japan’s bond markets have come under increasing pressure. This Update argues that most of the past rise in yields has been benign... 21st May 2026 · 5 mins read
Global Economics Update Assessing the effects of an extreme war scenario In this Update, we explore an extreme scenario in which the Iran war escalates beyond the assumptions in our published baseline and adverse scenarios. With Brent crude jumping higher and staying at... 14th May 2026 · 7 mins read
Japan Economics Update Bank of Japan will hike rates again in June While the BoJ kept policy settings unchanged today and turned more pessimistic about the outlook for economic activity, policymakers seem more worried about the inflationary consequences of higher... 28th April 2026 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Government fiscal health still set to improve further Changes to the way the IMF measures Japan’s government debt mean that the net debt position now looks less favourable. But we still expect it to decline faster than the IMF is anticipating. 17th April 2026 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Business investment boom not on the cards The recent surge in machinery orders seems to vindicate concerns by some BoJ Board members that the Bank is falling behind the curve. However, other indicators are less upbeat and with the energy cost... 15th April 2026 · 3 mins read
Global Economics Update The economic consequences of a tax on Hormuz trade A tax on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz would be unlikely to have major near-term implications for global energy markets, trade or wider economic activity. But depending on how it is structured... 9th April 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Surge in EV sales won’t help Japan’s carmakers much The sales of electric vehicles by Japanese carmakers have skyrocketed in recent months but this offers little protection against the mounting competitive threat from Chinese firms. 7th April 2026 · 4 mins read
Global Economics Update What are the potential implications of Houthi Attacks? While the direct effect of renewed strikes on shipping in the Red Sea on aggregate world trade is likely to be limited, the impact on Asian economies that rely more heavily on oil imports from Saudi... 31st March 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update Strong Shunto results will prompt more BoJ rate hikes This year’s spring wage negotiations (Shunto) delivered strong pay hikes for the third consecutive year, which will convince the Bank of Japan to tighten policy further this year. And while softer... 23rd March 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Update BoJ signals willingness to hike rates again soon A slim majority of BoJ Board members believe that the conflict in the Middle East will on balance strengthen inflationary pressures in Japan. Accordingly, we’re sticking to our forecast that the Bank... 19th March 2026 · 3 mins read
Japan Economics Update Net government debt will fall to 80% of GDP by 2028 Japan’s public finances are improving at an even faster pace than we had anticipated, supporting our long-held view that the country won’t experience a fiscal crisis anytime soon. 18th March 2026 · 3 mins read
Commodities Update Strategic reserves are no substitute for an open Strait A record-breaking release of emergency oil reserves could cushion a lack of supply from the Middle East and provide some relief to oil prices. However, this would prove temporary with prices likely to... 11th March 2026 · 4 mins read
Asia Economics Update Energy shock in Asia: policy choices ahead High energy prices and growing concerns over energy security have already prompted significant policy responses across Asia. Some governments are looking to introduce inflation-suppressing measures... 10th March 2026 · 4 mins read
