Zeev:
Nikkei and yen have been greatly outperforming recently, but still have a lot of upside potential IMHO. Much more than the US or European markets.
Japan's Economic Recovery to Speed Up in 2005 Second Half, Takenaka Says
Japanese Machinery Orders Surged by 19.9 Percent in November From October
Stocks in Japan Gain, Paced by Fanuc, on Jump in November Machinery Orders
Japan's Economic Recovery to Speed Up, Takenaka Says (Update1)
Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Japan's economic recovery will speed up this year as stability in the financial system increases, Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Heizo Takenaka said.
``The economy should pull out of its stagnation from the middle of the year and turn into a recovery phase, as fundamentals, mainly the country's financial system, are being strengthened,'' Takenaka said today on Japan Broadcasting Corp.'s NHK television program ``Sunday Debate.''
Japanese machinery orders jumped 19.9 percent in November, the biggest increase in more than four years, the government said on Jan. 14. A central bank report released the same day said wholesale price inflation slowed in December for the first time in 10 months, easing pressure on companies to cut costs to protect profits in the world's second-largest economy.
Japan's economy, which grew at a 6.8 percent pace in the first quarter of last year, expanded at a 0.2 percent annual pace in the quarter to Sept. 30 following a contraction in the previous three months, the first in five quarters. The economy will expand 1.6 percent next fiscal year after growing a projected 2.1 percent this year, the government said on Dec. 20.
Total bad loans at Japanese banks fell to 34.6 trillion yen ($339 billion) as of March 31, 2004, from 52.4 trillion two years earlier. Mizuho Financial Group Inc. and six other major lenders say they will likely meet a government requirement that they halve their ratios of bad loans to overall lending in the three years ending March 31.
News 
Market Data 
Discover 
AI
