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Japan reliant on government stimulus even for tepid growth
The Japanese economy hardly budged last quarter, and many economists see the low-growth trend continuing even with the help of the government's stimulus program. In need of a jolt Japan's GDP grew just 0.048% from the previous quarter, and an annualized 0.2%, during the April-June period, according to preliminary figures the Cabinet Office released Monday. The economy grew for two straight quarters thanks to a rise in home investment fueled by the Bank of Japan's negative rates, as well as stepped-up public works investment. This will likely be the equation for the current and coming quarters. Seven of 10 economists ... (full story)