Traders are awaiting the release of data from the U.S. Labor Department on the country’s consumer price movements last month, which are considered key to the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) decision on the future direction of monetary policy.
“All markets are clearly focused on the extremely important U.S. inflation data,” notes SPI Asset Management managing partner Stephen Innes, quoted by Market Watch. – Traders are trying to figure out whether the Fed will change course after this data and what the implications for the U.S. economy will be.”
Experts polled by Trading Economics on average expect U.S. inflation in March slowed to 5.2% on an annualized basis from 6% in February.
Higher-than-expected inflation would raise the likelihood of another Fed rate hike by at least another 25 basis points. The U.S. central bank rate hike has already slowed inflation, but it is also holding back the economy. A further rate hike would increase the threat of recession, which would have a negative impact on stock markets, notes Market Watch.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock index gained 0.6% in trading.
SoftBank Group shares gained 1.4 percent, Nippon Yusen rose 2.4 percent, Mitsubishi Corp. – by 2.3%, Nippon Steel by 1.8% and Nintendo by 1%.
Bank of Japan data released Wednesday showed the country’s producer price growth slowed to an annualized 7.2% in March from February’s 8.3%. The rate of increase in producer prices last month was the slowest since September 2021.
China’s Shanghai Composite stock index added 0.3 percent in trading, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.8 percent.
The leaders in mainland China are commodities stocks – Petrochina Co. (SPB: 857) gained 3.4 percent, China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) gained 1.7 percent and Zijin Mining Group Co. – by 0.7%.
Shares of technology giants are becoming cheaper in Hong Kong. Alibaba Group Holding (SPB: BABA) was down 2.4%. On Tuesday, the company unveiled its own artificial intelligence model, a ChatGPT counterpart that works with Chinese and English. The model will be integrated into all business applications in Alibaba’s ecosystem in the near future, the company said.
According to Bloomberg, Chinese authorities are planning to introduce the requirement of safety checks of technologies similar to the popular chatbot ChatGPT.
Shares of Tencent (SPB: 700) Holdings Ltd. fell 4.4% in trading and JD.Com Inc. (SPB: JD) fell 3.4%.
South Korea’s KOSPI stock index is stable in the course of trading, the Australian S&P/ASX 200 added 0.4%.
BHP Group shares rose 2.1%, Rio Tinto – 2.5%, Fortescue Metals – 1.5%.
In 2023-2028, Uzbekistan will implement a project to create a value chain in the fruit and vegetable industry with the participation of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The total cost of the project is $323 million, including:
– a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) – $200 million;
– the contribution of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Project in the form of value added tax coverage and customs duty exemptions – $58.3 million;
– contribution of Project participants (loan recipients – Project initiators) – $64.8 million.
The project is being implemented in all regions of Uzbekistan, and its implementation period is 6 years – from 2023 to 2028.
The International Center for Strategic Development and Research in Food and Agriculture under the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan has been appointed as the executive body responsible for the timely and complete implementation, coordination and management of the project.
Ukraine will receive a $170 million grant from Japan to implement Ukraine’s “Rapid Recovery Plan,” Japanese Ambassador Matsuda Kuninori and Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction and Minister of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov signed the agreement on Friday.
According to the Ministry of Reconstruction, the day before, the deputy prime minister also signed a memorandum under which the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) will independently oversee the use of funds for housing reconstruction in the Kiev region.
“Transparency and accountability are the basic principles of the approach to reconstruction. Without fulfilling these conditions, the involvement of international partners and, in general, the effective restoration of the destroyed is impossible (…) We plan to scale the successful experience of supervision and cooperation with UNDP in matters of independent supervision to other restoration projects in different regions of Ukraine”, – Kubrakov noted.
According to him, similar cooperation is planned with other international organizations – financial or expert.
In addition to independent oversight, UNDP will support digitalization of reconstruction, development and monitoring processes in regional development, work on enhancing the capacity of local governments to implement infrastructure projects, community access to international donor funding and energy efficiency of social infrastructure.
In addition, the UN Development Program will provide technical support to Ukraine in reconstruction.
As reported, the Government of Japan has allocated $170 million for Ukraine’s reconstruction, and before that another $95 million, which was sent to the UNDP Development Program in the framework of a partnership agreement.
In addition, in January, the “Recovery” direction was launched within the framework of the fundraising platform United24. Due to it, 18 apartment buildings in Irpen, Borodyanka, Gostomel, Buzova and Mily will be fundamentally repaired and about 4000 residents will be able to return into their homes by the end of 2023. For this purpose, according to the decision of the government, more than 500 million UAH collected at the special account of United24 will be directed.
Japan will hold an online G7 meeting on February 24, which will be joined by Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, in addition, Tokyo will allocate $5.5 billion in aid to Ukraine, the Associated Press quotes the statement of Prime Minister of this country Fumio Kishida.
During his speech at a forum in Tokyo, Kishida said that his country will host the first summit of the G7, which will be held on February 24.
He also announced that Japan will provide assistance so that Ukraine can “rebuild daily life and infrastructure.
The Japanese government will allocate another $170 million in 2023 for emergency reconstruction projects, particularly critical infrastructure, in addition to the $95 million already allocated earlier this year, according to the Ministry of Reconstruction’s website.
“The unconditional priority at this stage of reconstruction is the restoration of critical infrastructure necessary to meet the basic needs of citizens. This is a necessary step to return Ukrainians to their homes and maintain economic development in the regions,” the release quotes Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Ministry of Reconstruction Oleksandr Kubrakov as saying.
It is noted that the assistance provides Japanese partners with goods and services necessary for the reconstruction. Ukraine will receive these funds under a grant agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA),
Kubrakov thanked partners for the support, noting that it is extremely valuable and necessary. Deputy Prime Minister expressed hope that after the war it would be possible to quickly move on to long-term investment projects.
As reported, in early January, the Japanese government allocated $95 million for reconstruction. These funds are directed to the UN Development Program (UNDP) in the framework of a partnership agreement.
The Japanese government has allocated $95 million for government work and reconstruction of Ukraine, the Ministry of Community Development, Territories and Infrastructure said.
The document was signed by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine Kuninor Matsuda and UNDP Assistant Administrator, Director of UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and CIS Ivana Zhivkovich with participation of Deputy Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine Oleksandr Kubrakov.
The funds will be sent to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as part of a partnership agreement.
“While the Armed Forces of Ukraine are liberating territories from occupiers, the government is working with international partners to implement ‘survival projects’: restoring transport links to the liberated regions, creating conditions for citizens to return to their homes, maintaining the economy in the regions,” the Ministry of Community, Territory and Infrastructure Development said in a statement.
Ukraine’s aid program focuses on five key areas:
Strengthening the government’s ability to respond to and manage the crisis;
supporting public services so they can continue their work;
rebuilding critical infrastructure so people can return home safely;
Supporting private businesses so they can continue to operate, thereby supporting communities;
Strengthening civil society and social ties.
Earlier, in April 2022, Japan had already allocated $4.5 million for emergency explosive ordnance clearance and debris removal.
