As reported by Jiji Press on 27 August, the Liberal Democratic Party's presidential election management committee indicated that day that names will be taken and disclosed when it asks lawmakers and prefectural chapter representatives for their preferences on truncating Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's term to hold a new internal leadership election.
“When the path is uncertain you go a little bit slower” – Chair Powell. The expectation is for the Fed to leave their policy rates unchanged at 4.25-4.50%. To us, uncertainty around the macro environment and politics will likely equate to little changes to the Fed’s forward guidance. Powell will likely want to keep all the options open.
Life insurance companies (lifers) net sold JPY216bn ($1.4bn) of foreign bonds inFebruary, marking net selling of foreign bonds for four consecutive months (Fig. 6 ), but the size remains smaller than in 2022, when they markedly decreased their exposure to foreign bonds.
A commonly raised point is that Shunto wage increases only apply to union members, and the March preliminary results only reflect wage increases from Rengo-affiliated unions, resulting in the data being non-comprehensive. We believe this observation is half right and half wrong.
