Japanese GDP is likely to expand an average 1.7% through March 2019. Growth should be about 1.6% in April through December this year, rising to 1.8% next January through March.
It has begun. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has started the process to reappoint Haruhiko Kuroda as governor of the Bank of Japan (BoJ) by submitting a request to the Japanese Diet.
After a torrid 15 years of deflation, it is time to forget about 'the lost decade' in Japan.
Despite good absolute performance in the Japan equity market year-to-date, valuations remain attractive both on a cash earnings yield and a price-to-book basis compared to other major markets.
So far this year, we have seen Japan's equity market rising on the back of a supportive global backdrop, a relatively stable currency and healthy corporate earnings growth.
World's third-largest economy
Recent geopolitical turmoil and concerns about the Trump administration's ability to enact promised fiscal reforms have led speculators to push up the yen versus all currencies once again.