Will Britain follow Japan’s great growth gamble? Opinion Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has unveiled an expansionary economic blueprint aiming to break Japan’s long-standing cycle of stagnation through state-led investment, creating a precarious balancing act for the Bank of Japan as it attempts to maintain market confidence and monetary stability, says Helen Thomas A newly installed leader promises to break with the economic [...]
Yen weakens after Takaichi selects dovish candidates for Bank of Japan Politics The yen slipped sharply against the US dollar on Wednesday morning, after Japan’s prime minister Sanae Takaichi picked two ‘dovish’ candidates for roles at the country’s central bank. Takaichi nominated academics Ayano Sato and Toichiro Asada who both favour economic stimulus and lower interest rates, raising questions they could challenge Bank of Japan governor Kazuo [...]
Sanae Takaichi rolled the dice and won – what next? Opinion Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi secured a commanding victory in a snap general election, clinching a two-thirds supermajority that signals a new, more assertive phase in the country’s economic and foreign policy, says Helen Thomas Japanese prime minister Sanae Takaichi’s decision to call a snap general election was a high-risk move. Just like investment theory [...]
‘Yesterday man’: How Powell’s Fed exit will open the door to Trump August 20, 2025 With Jerome Powell’s term as chair expiring in 2026, President Trump is closing in on Fed control after months of animosity, says Helen Thomas The great central banker jamboree takes place this weekend at Jackson Hole, Wyoming.This annual symposium organised by the US Federal Reserve brings together the top mindsin economic academic thought – and [...]
‘The most calls I’ve ever had’ – Why Japanese bonds have suffered surging yields May 27, 2025 The Japanese bond market has suffered one of its worst weeks in years. An auction on Japan’s 20-year government bond saw its bid-to-cover ratio, a measure of demand, sink to levels last seen in 2012, while the auction’s tail, the gap between average and lowest-accepted prices, widened to the longest since 1987, in another sign [...]
Panic over? London’s FTSE 100 surges after overnight rally in Asia August 7, 2024 The global market rally picked up the pace on Wednesday with European equities surging after Japanese stocks recorded strong overnight gains. The FTSE 100 was up 1.8 per cent at 8,166.88 while the midcap FTSE 250 gained 1.0 per cent to trade at 20,576.03. The CAC in Paris gained 2.0 per cent while the DAX [...]
How the Bank of Japan fuelled the market rout August 5, 2024 Japanese equity markets suffered their worst day in decades as part of a global market sell-off fuelled in part by a long-awaited normalisation in Japan’s monetary policy. The Nikkei 225 lost 12.4 per cent on Monday, its worst day since 1987. The rout wiped out all the gains made by the Nikkei this year. The [...]
Week ahead: Market holds breath for busy central bank week July 28, 2024 Markets are preparing themselves for one of the busiest weeks of the calendar, with the Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, and Bank of Japan all deciding the path for interest rates in their country over the next five days.
Yen on brink of breaching ‘psychological barrier’ as Bank of Japan poised to intervene June 24, 2024 The Japanese yen is at risk of passing the psychological barrier of 160 per dollar as markets prepare for the country's central bank to intervene in an effect to prop up the currency, as it has in the past.
Will the Federal Reserve and Bank of England surprise investors this week? March 19, 2024 The Fed will reveal its latest decision on Wednesday before the Bank's announcement on Thursday.