Business / Economy Apr 20, 2017
Japan logged first trade surplus in six years in fiscal 2016 at ¥4 trillion
Japan posts its first trade surplus since 2011 after low oil prices help reduce the value of its imports.
Business / Economy Feb 8, 2016
Cheap oil boosts Japan's 2015 current account surplus sixfold
The nation's current account surplus grew more than sixfold in 2015 from the previous year to ¥16.64 trillion, boosted by a plunge in crude oil imports and a travel surplus amid the yen's depreciation, government data showed Monday. Goods trade registered a deficit of ¥643.4 ...
Commentary / World Feb 2, 2016
Brace for the coming wave of oil-crunch refugees
by Michael Meyer
Commentary / World Jan 20, 2016
Petroleum's plunge is great news for most of us
by Noah Smith
The initial shock from the oil collapse might be negative, but it will be outweighed by the positive effects before too long.
Business / Financial Markets Jan 14, 2016
Stocks tumble in Tokyo, largely erasing Wednesday's rebound
Shares fell in Tokyo on Thursday, cutting short Wednesday's rebound, after U.S. stocks tumbled amid declining oil prices and continued anxiety over Chinese growth. The Nikkei average slid 2.7 percent to 17,240.95 at the close of trading, while the Topix index lost 2.5 percent to ...
Business / Economy Nov 4, 2015
Consumer confidence rises in October amid cheaper gasoline
Consumer confidence improved in October on the back of lower gasoline prices and more job offers, following a decline the previous month. The seasonally adjusted index of sentiment among households of two or more people was up 0.9 points from the previous month at 41.5, ...
Business Aug 10, 2015
Japan logs largest January-June current account surplus since 2010
Japan posted a current account surplus of ¥8.18 trillion in the January to June period, the largest since the second half of 2010, as lower crude oil prices pushed down imports and income increased on the back of a weaker yen, the government said ...
Business / Corporate Aug 4, 2015
Major Japanese firms post robust profit growth in April-June
Major Japanese firms posted robust year-on-year profit rises in the April-June quarter due to the yen's decline, an oil price plunge and fading adverse effects of the consumption tax hike in April 2014, according to data compiled by a major brokerage. The combined pretax profits ...
Business / Economy Jul 23, 2015
Japan trade deficit shrinks 77% to ¥1.73 trillion
Japan's goods trade deficit in the January to June period shrank 77.4 percent from a year earlier to ¥1.73 trillion ($13.9 billion), due partly to smaller imports on the back of declining crude oil prices, the government said Thursday. The smaller deficit, which followed a ...
Business Mar 27, 2015
Oil leaps 5%, most in a month, on Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen
Oil jumped about 5 percent on Thursday, the biggest daily gain in a month, as airstrikes in Yemen by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf Arab allies sparked fears that escalation of the Middle East battle could disrupt world crude supplies. The Saudi military operation against ...
Business Feb 17, 2015
Crude oil trades near two-month high as drilling slows in U.S., Libya pipeline fire slows flow
Oil traded at an almost two-month high in London amid speculation that a slowdown in U.S. drilling may curb production. Brent crude futures were little changed in London, paring an earlier increase of as much as 1.7 percent. U.S. drillers cut the number of rigs ...
Business / Financial Markets Feb 13, 2015
U.S. stocks approach record as technology, energy shares gain
U.S. stocks climbed back close to record levels on Thursday as technology, materials and energy companies all notched big gains. Cisco Systems led the technology sector higher after reporting better-than-expected earnings. Energy stocks rose as the price of oil rebounded following two days of heavy ...