Japan’s Brawl With The Bond Vigilantes

After last week’s portentous Japanese government bond auction, in which demand was so weak as to be off the charts, William explains what went wrong and why. Contributing factors included the BOJ’s halted tightening owing to “tariff haze,” the Prime Minister’s unfortunate remark likening the nation’s fiscal situation to that of Greece, and vestiges of Japan’s economic past. But having Japan-specific causes doesn’t detract from investors’ fear that this auction was a canary in a coal mine, portending more upheaval for global financial markets and more difficulty for global policymakers amid Trump’s Tariff Turmoil. ... Also: The implications of Japan’s economic turmoil for the world at large and the conundrum facing the BOJ right now.