Japanese Economy Monthly Forecast (July 2019)
▶ We forecast a real annualized GDP growth of +1.5% in Q2 (expenditure side). The production-side forecast is an annualized +2.1%.
▶ Q2 GDP growth was mainly driven by domestic demand, while net exports are expected to have made a negative contribution.
▶ The latest official figures suggest a robust increase in production, consumption and capital investment in Q2. However, this might be temporary, as the forecasts from the past month suggest a growth deceleration trend.
▶ Q2 CPI inflation is expected to have decelerated to a modest +0.1% QoQ. We forecast an overall GDP deflator of -0.1% QoQ.