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Japan’s Inflation Ticks Up for a Second Month After Tax Hike
Japan’s key gauge of inflation ticked up in November, gaining for a second month following October’s sale tax hike. Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 0.5% from a year earlier, picking up speed from 0.4% in October, data from the ministry of internal affairs showed Friday. The number matched the median of economists’ forecasts. Key Insights • October’s 2 percentage-point increase in the sales tax has pushed up prices of goods and services but also damped consumer demand, a key driver of inflation. • Lower energy costs, a global phenomenon this year, are also limiting Japanese price gains, which are ... (full story)