16/05/2013
The latest GDP data from Japan reflected the still huge task facing the authorities. Headline growth was better than expected, the economy expanding 0.9% in the first quarter of the current year, but deflation was more entrenched, with the deflator declining 1.2% YoY. Still, this is the picture of the economy before the announcement of a doubling of the monetary base, made early last month. The other indicators seen so far have been a little more encouraging, with Japanese corporates seeing the benefits of the weaker yen, which has had longer to feed through and there are also early signs that wages are starting to adjust upwards, a key factor in breaking the deflationary psychology that has gripped Japan for much of the past twenty years. The firmer dollar stance has helped, with the dollar index within a whisker of making a near 3 year high yesterday. More of the same is on the cards for USDJPY ahead.