Japan’s Leadership Race Heats Up

The Bank of England (BoE) has dramatically shifted its economic forecasts. They no longer expect a recession in the UK and have upgraded their growth projections. This year, the BoE predicts GDP growth of +0.25%, a significant improvement from previous expectations. Next year's forecast is even more optimistic, with a projected growth of 0.75%.

On Wednesday, the US dollar weakened in anticipation of the US CPI data, which could influence market exposure. A Bloomberg survey predicts a year-on-year read of 5.0% to the end of April. Market sentiment is affected by the US debt ceiling and issues with regional banks. While the major APAC equity indices are...

Hold onto your hats, folks! The Japanese yen took a nosedive after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) left its ultra-loose policy settings unchanged, including its closely watched yield curve control (YCC) policy. But wait, there's more! The BOJ also removed its forward guidance, which had previously pledged to keep interest rates at current or lower levels. So, what's the scoop? Market expectations had been subdued going into the meeting, but some were still hoping for tweaks to the forward guidance to prepare for an eventual exit from the bank's massive stimulus

Get ready for some suspense as the Bank of Canada faces a tough decision on whether to raise interest rates or keep them on hold. The resilient Canadian economy and the goal of curbing inflation further are at the heart of this dilemma. While some money markets and economists predict another rate hike, others believe the central bank should exercise caution and wait, hinting at a possible increase later in the summer.

Let's take a closer look at Australia's recent economic performance. Brace yourselves for some interesting developments. The country's economy experienced its slowest growth since late 2021 in the first quarter, raising doubts about the Reserve Bank of Australia's rapid interest rate increases. Despite the bank's record-breaking 12 rate hikes in the last 13 months, the resource-rich economy only grew by a modest 0.2% in the quarter, falling short of economists' expectations.

Let's dive into the latest developments shaping the global economic landscape. Good news first: the threat of an unprecedented US debt crisis has receded, as US lawmakers passed a bill to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a catastrophic default. Phew! But don't pop the champagne just yet, because storm clouds are still looming. High inflation, rising interest rates, and sluggish growth are challenges that have yet to disappear.