Chinese trade
Crowd-Pleasing Chinese March Trade Data
April 13, 2016
Investors had already been in a risk-on frame of mind because of the upcoming OPEC meeting to freeze production and lend support to oil prices. Chinese trade figures released overnight suggest that economy’s slowdown may be stabilizing and boosted stock and commodity prices further. Chinese exports recorded on-year positive growth of 11.5%, their first rise […] More
Chinese, Japanese and German Trade Data Reveal Surprises
March 9, 2015
The risk-off trading environment that ensued after U.S. labor statistics were released Friday has continued. Share prices fell 2.1% in India, 1.3% in Indonesia and Australia, 1.0% in Japan and South Korea, and 0.9% in Taiwan. The Chinese market’s 1.7% rise was an exception, reflecting hints the Premier Li that more stimulus in 2015 is […] More
Markets Watching Greece and China Anxiously
February 9, 2015
Who’s going to flinch first in the standoff over Greek debt. Prime Minister Tsipras and his finance minister Varoufakis spoke more emphatically about a break with austerity. The prime minister reaffirmed his campaign promises to boost the minimum wage. Greece’s creditors continue to insist that there can be no watering-down of Greece’s debt obligations. Greek […] More
A Slew of Data Releases to Start the New Week
December 8, 2014
Revised Japanese national income account statistics confirmed a technical recession in the world’s third largest economy. Real GDP was revised to show a larger quarter-on-quarter decline in 3Q of 1.9% at an annualized rate. Nominal GDP slumped 3.5% on quarter. Real GDP had fallen by 6.7% at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (saar) in the […] More
Sharp Overnight Drop in the Pound
September 8, 2014
Sterling has slumped 1.3% against the dollar in response to opinion polls pointing to a vote in favor of Scottish independence in a referendum scheduled for September 18. The U.S. currency is otherwise unchanged against the euro and yuan but up 0.3% relative to the Australian dollar, 0.2% versus the loonie and kiwi and 0.1% […] More
Further European Disinflation and Worrisome Chinese Trade Figures
April 10, 2014
A slew of European price data releases struck a theme of disinflation. Harmonized Greek consumer prices were 1.5% lower in March than a year earlier. The Greek jobless rate in January (26.7%) again surpassed 25%. The 12-month decline in Spanish consumer prices widened to 0.4% in March from 0.1% in February. Danish harmonized CPI inflation […] More
Soft Japanese and Chinese Economic Statistics
March 10, 2014
Soft Japanese and Chinese data sent stocks lower in the Pacific Rim, but European markets have strengthened. U.S. clocks were put an hour ahead, shortening the time difference between EDT and GMT to four hours but lengthening the differential between Tokyo and New York to 14 hours. The situation in Crimea remains very tense. China […] More
Some Good News From Asia
September 9, 2013
Japanese real GDP growth in 2Q13 was revised up sharply from 2.6% annualized reported initially to 3.8%. Growth was also revised higher to 4.1% in the first quarter from 3.8% and to 1.1% in the final quarter of 2012 from 1.0%. GDP between the second quarters of 2012 and 2013 climbed 1.2%. The GDP price […] More
Yen Surprise
February 8, 2013
The Japanese yen rose 1.1% against the dollar, strengthened by the remarks of Finance Minister Aso that the currency’s fall from 78 through 90 had been faster than expected. There was confusion around the translation of exactly what he said. Make no mistake, however, officials led by Aso and Abe had previously engaged in verbal […] More
Softer Yen and Dollar ahead of ECB Monthly Press Conference
January 10, 2013
The yen lost 0.4% against the dollar on continuing expectations of more expansionary fiscal and monetary policies in Japan. The dollar otherwise had declined 0.6% versus the Australian dollar, 0.5% relative to the kiwi, 0.3% vis-a-vis the euro and Swissie, and 0.2% against the loonie and sterling. The Bank of England as expected left policy […] More
