For the Bank of Japan (BOJ), failure can be an opportunity. Judging from the latest economic forecasts, the central bank is falling even farther behind on meeting its 2 percent inflation target. Meanwhile, its efforts to keep interest rates down are bringing the bond market to the verge of a coma. So great is the BOJ’s buying to support its ...

The Federal Reserve’s confidence in its policy of interest-rate hikes was undoubtedly bolstered by last week’s report of a strong US economy. Look to Europe, however, and there are reasons to doubt that confidence. Economic growth in the Euro area was just 0.2 percent in the third quarter, it was reported, half of what had been forecast and in stark ...

Italy’s horror show has just started – and it’s bound to get worse. The country’s economy stagnated in the third quarter, according to latest figures. The slowdown may be part of a wider trend: the euro zone economy expanded by a meager 0.2 percent in same three months. But it’s clear that the uncertainty which has accompanied the rise to ...