The IMF projects Japan will fall to sixth place in world GDP rankings, behind India and Britain, after slipping to fourth place in 2023. According to the World Economic Outlook, Japan's nominal GDP is projected at US$4.3419 trillion in 2026 and US$4.4676 trillion in 2027, based on an exchange rate of about 158 yen to the dollar amid the yen's continued weakness and sluggish growth. India's GDP is expected to reach US$4.5211 trillion in 2027, rising from sixth to fourth place, while Britain's is forecast at US$4.4889 trillion in 2027, even though the April report had projected Britain would overtake Japan in 2029. Real growth is projected at 0.7% for Japan in both 2026 and 2027, 7% for India on a fiscal year basis, and 1.3% in 2026 and 1.2% in 2027 for Britain.
Summary written by Upside AI from the original article. Read the source for full details.
Read the original on freemalaysiatoday.com ↗
Related tickers and likely impact
USD/JPY
• NeutralRelevance: low
| Market | Currencies |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/16/2026 | 157.995 |
| Change that session | 0.00% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
Related news
- Will the Fed Raise Rates This Month? Here's What Markets Say.
The latest CPI report showed September inflation came in hotter than expected: headline CPI rose 3.7% year over year and 0.6% from August, while core CPI rose 2.6% year over year and 0.3% monthly. This suggests the Fed could hike for a second straight time at its Oct. 27-28 meeting. However, futures traders price an 85.1% chance the Fed holds its rate at 3.75% to 4% in October and a 74.1% chance it resumes hiking in early December. The two-year Treasury yield has eased to 4.73% from 4.93% in September, signaling lower expectations for hikes, though it remains above the current rate. The author notes that stocks tend to perform better when the Fed moves slowly, and sees new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, in the role since May, as an incrementalist.
- Japan Electricity Prices Surge 25 % as LNG and Coal Costs Soar
Japan's nationwide average power price jumped more than 25% week-on-week to $0.19 (31.15 yen) per kWh on Monday, according to Bloomberg citing Japan Electric Power Exchange data. The rise follows surging LNG prices, with the spot price for north-east Asia delivery in December assessed at $29.30 per MMBtu, up from $26.50 a week earlier and the highest since December 2022, as few cargoes exit the Strait of Hormuz and Europe competes for winter supply. Japan and other Asian countries have shifted from gas to coal for power generation, but coal prices have also risen, with the Newcastle futures benchmark up 30% from pre-war levels due to reduced supply from Indonesia. Scheduled maintenance at some power plants ahead of winter also contributed to higher prices this month.
- Japan PM says wont rule out debt issuance to fund tax cut
- USD / JPY Holds Near 158 as Fed Hike Bets Ease
- BOJ chief says underlying inflation “quite close” to price goal
BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said underlying inflation is “quite close” to the 2% target, as strong global AI demand and a tight job market add price pressure, signalling room for further rate hikes. He stressed that raising rates at an appropriate pace would help avoid spikes in bond yields, while failing to adjust could push long-term rates higher. The BOJ's two-day meeting concludes on October 30, but after its September hike, many policymakers are cautious about another move this month. According to sources cited by Reuters, many market players expect rates to hold at 1.25%, with hints of a possible rise to 1.5% as early as December. JGB yields have risen as concerns grow that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's big spending plans could worsen Japan's already strained finances.
- Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Rejects Criticism Around Weak Yen and High Interest Rates
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has rejected criticism that she is responsible both for the weak yen and for pushing up interest rates. Speaking in parliament in response to opposition lawmaker Yoshifumi Hamano about a second supplementary budget, she said she clearly denied the accusations and that her government will build confidence in the yen through a strong economy. The yen has weakened to its lowest since 1986 and government bond yields have hit multi-decade highs, prompting Tokyo and even Washington to intervene in the currency market. Takaichi said she will appropriately control bond issuance, and Bloomberg reported that total issuance for 2026 will remain unchanged from the original budget plan, though experts were skeptical. Monex's Jesper Koll has said that spending cannot rise without increasing debt.
Related markets
Latest news
- Amazon stock pops after Morgan Stanley details 5 catalysts, lifts price target
Morgan Stanley named Amazon a top pick and raised its price target to $350 from $335, implying about 40% upside from Friday's $250 close. The bear and bull cases are $220 and $410, a 3:1 risk-reward ratio. Analyst Brian Nowak outlined five catalysts: faster AWS revenue growth (47% in 2027 and 42% in 2028), AWS operating margins of 42% and 44%, more visibility into Bedrock, gains from AI shopping, and robotics that could save $2 billion to $4 billion a year for every 10% of units moving through automated fulfillment centers. The firm raised its capex forecast to $355 billion for 2027 and $365 billion for 2028. The stock is up about 11% this year but sits roughly 10% below its early August high.
- Should You Buy Meta (META) Ahead of Earnings?
Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) reports Q3 results on Oct 21, and the stock is among the top 10 holdings in Trump's latest portfolio, where its biggest trade in the Oct 8 filing was a purchase of $5 million to $25 million on Aug 21. Bulls say AI is boosting Meta's ad business: in Q2, ad impressions rose 14%, the average price per ad rose 12% and revenue grew 28%. Bears point to rising capital spending, nearly vanished free cash flow and a Q2 earnings miss of about 14% from legal and severance charges, while Muse brings in little revenue so far. The number of hedge funds holding Meta fell from 262 to 254 in Q2, and the stock fell after each of its last two earnings reports. The article notes analysts expect Q3 revenue growth of about 24% with EPS below last year, and suggests either buying a small starter position before the report or waiting for it.
- Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel Just Took a Page Out of Warren Buffett's Playbook, Plowing $930 Million Into a 'Wonderful Company at a Fair Price'
CEO Greg Abel has put $930 million into Bending Spoons, a company that acquires, optimizes and reinvests in digital businesses, including $600 million in its July IPO and a further $330 million later, lifting Berkshire's stake to about 4%. Bending Spoons has acquired 50 businesses since 2013, including AOL, Eventbrite and Vimeo. In the second quarter, revenue rose 126% to over $704 million, diluted EPS grew 163% to $0.28, and adjusted operating margin reached 54%. The IPO price was $29 per share and the $330 million purchase was at $33, while the stock now trades near $54.50, a market cap of nearly $35 billion and about 39 times forward earnings. The article argues this reflects Buffett's principle of buying a wonderful company at a fair price, though the stock is no longer a bargain.
- Intel stock pops after JPMorgan gives a Neutral upgrade
JPMorgan (JPM) upgraded Intel (INTC) to Neutral from Underweight. The note points to improving execution under CEO Lip-Bu Tan, potential foundry customers for next-generation manufacturing, and rising earnings estimates for 2027 and 2028.
- BC-Gold Futures
AP's gold futures table (100 troy oz, USD per troy oz) as of 10:00 AM on Monday, October 19 shows the December 2026 contract trading at $4,169.50, down $11.60, with volume of 79,099 contracts versus 135,074 on Friday. The October 2026 contract rose $14.00 to $4,173.50, and open interest totaled 398,149 contracts, up 2,143.
- Intel leads chip stocks higher as investors jump back into AI trade
Chip stocks rebounded on Monday as investors bought the dip after last week's steep AI trade sell-off. The PHLX Semiconductor Index (^SOX) rose 2%, reversing a recent semiconductor rout. Intel (INTC) jumped 5% after JPMorgan upgraded the stock to Buy, citing "solid execution." Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD (AMD) also gained, while a Goldman Sachs upgrade of CoreWeave (CRWV) to Buy from Neutral helped lift AI sentiment. Arm Holdings (ARM), Micron Technology (MU) and SK Hynix (SKHY) also rebounded after sharp declines last week.
Get the briefing on Telegram or Zalo
Join the Upside Telegram channel or Zalo group for the Vietnam stocks and gold briefing at 8:00 and 19:00 (Vietnam time) on trading days, plus a weekly wrap on Saturday morning.