In Tokyo, Paris and London, political risk is on the rise Opinion Instability in Japan, France and the UK will have global consequences for the bond markets, says Helen Thomas For investors, the message is simple: political risk is rising. From Tokyo to Paris to London, governments face competing imperatives – fiscal credibility, economic stimulus and electoral survival. Sanae Takaichi, the new leader of Japan’s ruling LDP, [...]
Exclusive: Did someone say chicken? UK preparing to break with EU on food safety at WTO meeting Brexit exclusive: UK prepares to break with EU on food standards Downing Street is considering taking an independent stance on food safety at an upcoming WTO summit, in yet another breach of transition rules within the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. The stage will be set when the US formally welcomes the UK as an independent member of the WTO during a meeting about sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) [...]
Japan’s Abenomics is branded a failure as GDP points to an economic slump Japan could be forced to ramp up QE this autumn following its economic contraction – while experts are suggesting Abenomics has been a failure. Latest figures from the world’s third-largest economy show Q2 GDP shrunk 1.6 per cent on an annualised basis, brought down by lower consumer spending and weak exports. Private consumption [...]
Nikkei swoops for Financial Times as outbound Japanese M&A hits all-time record in 2015 and analysts cite Abenomics July 23, 2015 Japanese firms are casting their nets far and wide as deals activity heats up, with media giant Nikkei’s £844m swoop for the Financial Times yesterday taking the country’s outbound M&A to an all-time high in 2015. Companies from Japan have splashed nearly $53bn (£34bn) on foreign takeovers so far this year, putting them on [...]
Japan general elections: Abenomics given boost by comfortable win for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe December 14, 2014 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe swept to a comfortable win in a ‘snap’ general election called to secure a tighter grip on power and gain a green light to push ahead with his ‘Abenomics’ policies. Abe’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and its junior partner Komeito swept to a big win of 333 of [...]
The Japanese general election: Shinzo Abe has history on his side December 10, 2014 The Japanese proverb “nanakorobi yaoki” roughly translates as: fall over seven times and stand up eight. It urges perseverance, and may be some comfort for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ahead of this Sunday’s election. It has been a busy few months for Japan watchers – fresh QE, another slide into recession, and the calling [...]
Japan needs its Thatcher moment or Abenomics is destined to be a failure November 23, 2014 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan is halfway there. After two decades of stagnation, matched by a consistently underwhelming political response to this seminal challenge, there is no doubt that Abe is at least aware of the true extent of the problem: that his legacy is wholly bound up with ending Japan’s “Lost Decades”. In [...]
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe calls snap election and delays hike in sales tax November 18, 2014 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called a snap election one day after the world's third-largest economy slipped into recession. Furthermore, he is promising to delay the controversial second hike in sales tax by 18 months. Data released on Monday showed the Japanese economy shrank by an annualised 1.6 per cent in the third quarter [...]
Could the wheels be falling off Abenomics, as Japan boosts QE? November 3, 2014 Diana Choyleva, head of macroeconomic research at Lombard Street Research, says Yes. The wheels haven’t fallen off Abenomics, but Japan is careering towards a dangerous mix of inflation and no growth. The last thing it needs is more QE, which will debase the yen and feed directly into inflation. Deflation in Japan isn’t the disease but [...]
Abenomics on trial: Japan’s economy shrinks at the fastest rate since 2011 August 13, 2014 Japan's economy has felt the sting of sales tax increases. The world's third-largest economy shrank at an annualised rate of 6.8 per cent in the second quarter of the year, the biggest drop since January 2011, when the economy suffered negative growth of 6.9 per cent after the tsunami and earthquake. The dire figures were [...]