Summary
The government of Prime Minister Abe is engaged in a most concerted attempt to rescue the Japanese economy from two decades of desuetude. Monetary easing, fiscal stimulus and structural reforms are the famous ‘three arrows’ of Abe’s revival plan. To date, only one, monetary easing has had any notable success. The Japanese economy slipped into recession last year and its recovery since has been unimpressive. What are the economic assumptions behind Mr. Abe’s program? What options does Prime Minister Abe have, aside from retirement, if his plan fails? Is Japan the future of all ageing industrial societies, or is Japan a singular and unfortunate case? Please join us for a fascinating voyage East and perhaps into the future.Latest Live Videos
Editors’ Picks
USD/JPY rebounds above 153.00 ahead of US inflation data
USD/JPY stages a comeback and regains 153.00 in the Asian session, snapping a four-day losing streak amid some repositioning ahead of the US CPI report. However, expectations that Japan's PM Sanae Takaichi could be more fiscally responsible, along with bets that the BoJ will stick to its policy normalization path and the risk-off mood, could support the safe-haven Japanese Yen, capping the pair's upside.
Gold: Will US CPI data trigger a range breakout?
Gold retakes $5,000 early Friday amid a turnaround from weekly lows as US CPI data loom. The US Dollar consolidates weekly losses as AI concerns-driven risk-off mood stalls downside. Technically, Gold appears primed for a big range breakout, with risks skewed toward a bullish break.
AUD/USD consolidates below 0.7100 as traders await US CPI report
AUD/USD consolidates the previous day's retracement slide from the vicinity of mid-0.7100s, or a three-year high, holding below 0.7100 as traders move to the sidelines ahead of Friday's release of the US consumer inflation figures. In the meantime, the divergent RBA-Fed outlooks might continue to support spot prices amid subdued US Dollar demand, though the risk-off impulse could act as a headwind for the Aussie.
Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple stay weak as bearish momentum persists
Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple remain under pressure, extending losses of over 5%, 6% and 4%, respectively, so far this week. BTC trades below $67,000 while ETH and XRP correct after facing rejection around key levels. With bearish momentum persisting and prices staying weak, the top three cryptocurrencies continue to show no clear signs of a sustained recovery.
A tale of two labour markets: Headline strength masks underlying weakness
Undoubtedly, yesterday’s delayed US January jobs report delivered a strong headline – one that surpassed most estimates. However, optimism quickly faded amid sobering benchmark revisions.
Here is what you need to know on Friday, February 13:
The US Dollar (USD) holds around 97 in the American session on Thursday after Wall Street fell sharply on fresh AI-related fears, as the tech sector is far from generating decent profits.