A majority of large Japanese firms believe that their business can easily withstand another interest rate rise, a survey released yesterday said.
Fifty-six percent of top executives at 136 major Japanese companies said "there won't be any big impact" if the Bank of Japan raises its key interest rate, said the poll conducted by the Nikkei Shimbun last month.
Forty-six percent said they would face higher interest payments but the financial standing of their firms would not change if the central bank raises rates.
firm recovery
Some analysts believe that the bank will raise interest rates as soon as late this month after recent economic indicators showed the world's second-largest economy is on a firm recovery track.
However, recent sharp falls in global share prices and political uncertainties after the Japanese government's upper house election defeat last month have cast some doubt on the prospects of another rate rise just yet.
The bank has left its key lending rate unchanged at 0.5 percent since February, sticking to its stance of tightening monetary policy only gradually after last year's end to zero rates.
continued recovery
The Nikkei survey also showed that 54 percent of respondents expect Japan's economic recovery, which is already the longest in post-war times, to continue for at least another year, up from 44 percent in a similar poll in April.
The survey received replies late last month from presidents and chairpersons at major Japanese companies including Sony, Toyota Motor, Matsushita Electric Industrial, Japan Airlines, Mitsubishi, Mizuho Financial, Toshiba and Hitachi.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
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