The Japanese economy grew by 2.1% in the first quarter compared to the same period a year earlier, accelerating growth against a 1.6% increase in the last quarter of 2018. The acceleration of economic growth was a surprise for economists, who had expected a 0.2% decline in GDP. The volume of Japanese GDP in monthly terms also unexpectedly showed an increase of 0.5%, while analysts had expected it to decline by 0.1%. The main factor behind the growth of the Japanese economy in the last quarter was an increase in government spending by 1.5%. At the same time, export, which is one of the main engines of the economy, declined by 2.4%, noting the maximum rate of decline since 2015. The volume of imports fell by 4.6% for the quarter. Business reduced investment by 0.3%, consumer spending decreased by 0.1%.
On Friday, Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) announced a lower second-quarter profit because of the recession caused by the coronavirus outbreak. The decline was due to lower sales volume and changes in dealer inventories. During the second quarter ...
Japan’s Finance Minister Taro Aso expressed worries about the yen’s continual rise, calling it “rapid” and hinting at the strong currency’s impact on exports as Japan struggles through a recession. The yen’s ...
June had seen Japan’s industrial output breaking its four-month slump. The recuperation could be attributed to a modest recovery seen in broader business and consumer activity after the world’s third-biggest economy suffered from ...
On Thursday, the United States’ Gross Domestic Product (GDP) suffered the biggest economic decline in the second quarter as the surge of coronavirus cases affected the whole country. The U.S. government decided to shut down restaurants, ...
Thailand's finance ministry on Thursday cut back its 2020 economic forecast to a record 8.5% contraction in GDP. This is a substantial contrast from a 2.8% growth it expected in January as the COVID-19 situation continued to worsen. The ministry’s ...