Economy in Brief

Manufacturing output in Japan rose by 4.3% in January after rising by 0.7% in December. Total industrial production rose by 2.8% in January after a flat performance in December. By major sector, consumer goods output, intermediate goods output, and investment goods output all increased in January; each had a strong pace in January after two of three sectors experienced output declines in December and November. However, the output recovery in January is strong and solid, putting the trend for industrial output and manufacturing back on solid footing.

Sequential growth rates in Japan show overall manufacturing is growing over 12 months, six months and three months, without any particular increase or decrease in the underlying trend. The 12-month growth rate is 2.5%, the six month pace is at a 3.6% annual rate, and the three month pace has eased back to 2%.

Sequential growth rates for manufacturing are much more upbeat, with manufacturing up by 2.5% over 12 months, running at an 8.3% annualized pace over six months, and accelerating further to 12.3% at an annual rate over three months.

The main manufacturing sectors also are very upbeat, with consumer goods output rising 1.2% over 12 months, accelerating to a 3.8% pace over six months, and accelerating further to a 6.5% annual rate over three months. Intermediate goods output shows a tendency for acceleration that later calms down over three months. The 12-month pace is 3.1%, the six-month pace rises to 5.7%, and over three months the pace is back down to 4%, which is cooling from the six-month pace, but still an increase from the 12-month rate.

For investment goods, the 12-month growth rate is 3%; it rises to a 9.8% annual rate over six months and accelerates further to a 17.3% annual rate over three months. Investment goods profile is reassuring and even eye-popping, showing significant strength at a time that yen weakness is helping to make production in Japan much more profitable.

Japan is experiencing this improved performance after a long period of underperformance going back to the pre-COVID period. Industry output is 88.2% of its January 2020 level; manufacturing output is 89.4% of what it was in January 2020. By sector, consumer goods output is 87.7% of its January 2020 level, intermediate goods output is 86.5%, and investment goods production is 88.7% of what it was in January 2020.

The quarter-to-date, which is a very nascent figure since this reflects only January data, shows total industry output rising at a 12.7% annual rate, with manufacturing growing at a 27.1% annual rate, supported by double-digit increases in the growth rates of consumer goods, intermediate goods, and investment goods output.

The ZEW survey, which is a survey of German financial experts, showed a weakening in March as the economic situation deteriorated sharply in the wake of the start of the war in Iran. For the euro area, the reading dropped to -29.9 in March from -13.6 in February; for Germany, the reading surprisingly improved a slight bit to -62.9 from -65.9; for the United States, a positive reading of 4.5 was still posted; however, it was down significantly from +19.6 in February. China’s reading fell to -33.7 from -31.5. The rank standings for these readings on data back to late-1992 for most reporters, but only back to April 2021 for China, shows the euro area at a reading near its median over this span. While Germany and the U.S. are substantially below their medians, with percentile standings near 30% for Germany and near the 40th percentile for the U.S. China logs a stronger queue standing above its median at 68.3%.

Macro expectations fell more clearly and sharply for all the reporters in March. For Germany, the drop was to -0.5 in March from +58.3 in February, while the U.S. drop was to -28.7 from -5.1 in February. China’s drop was to -15.8 from +13.1 in February. The standings for these March readings place China at a 1.7 percentile standing, the U.S. at a 16.1 percentile standing, and Germany at a 25.1 percentile standing. All of them are quite weak in the lower quartile of their respective queues of data.

With oil prices jumping sharply, inflation expectations have simply skyrocketed on the month. For the euro area, the reading that was near 0 in February jumped to 79 in March. For Germany, a reading of -2.3 in February surged to 79.2 in March. For the U.S., an inflation expectation of 43.1 in February nearly doubled to 80.4 in March. For China, a February reading of 10.5 ran up to 56.0 for March. The queue percentile standings for the March readings rose to the 98th percentile for the euro area, Germany, and the U.S., while China's standing also moved up strongly to its 93rd percentile, when ranked over a shorter period extending back to April 2021.

With inflation going up, short-term interest rate expectations rose as well. Those expectations rose in the euro area, the U.S., and China. For each of these reporters, there was a significant increase in the short-term rate expectations. The euro area expectation survey value has a standing in its 70.9 percentile, China’s standing is at its 55th percentile, while the U.S. standing is still below its median at its 22.4 percentile.

Long-term rate expectations moved up in all areas as well, with Germany's new reading having a 66.8 percentile standing, China at a 75th percentile standing, and the U.S. at a 59th percentile standing. Each one of these is above its historic median. Long-term expectations are elevated.

Stock markets in all areas weakened in March compared to February, with most showing declines of about 50% or so in this survey. The queue standings for the new readings are all in the lower 25th percentile of their respective data queues. Some of them are significantly lower, such as Germany, which stands only in its 9th percentile. On balance, the attack in Iran has been a game-changer for economic perceptions and expectations. Markets are wary. And everyone knows the centerpiece is the Strait of Hormuz. But that does not make it much easier to handicap the future.