Manichi: Japan Jan./March Spending.

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20200727/p2g/00m/0bu/034000c

Article:

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Capital spending by Japanese companies rose 0.1 percent in the January-March quarter from a year earlier, revised downward from an earlier result of 4.3 percent growth, the government said Monday.

Ideas:

Revisions are always a part of the process. As the initial stats come out they always have clause related to future revisions due to changes in the initial numbers.

Article: 

Investment by all non financial sectors for purposes such as building factories and adding equipment totaled 15.69 trillion yen ($148 billion), according to the Finance Ministry.

The preliminary report released June 1 said investment stood at 16.35 trillion yen, while the spread of the coronavirus was clouding prospects for the economy.

Ideas:

The idea of capital investments always need to taken with a grain of salt, and and the same time, understand that not all companies maintain the same level of capital investments each quarter. Yes there is a general trend or bench mark that is mostly likely used to determine the companies are investing in capital structures but that all companies don't invest each quarter that the same rate.

Its kind of like buying a new car. Not all consumers are going to buy a new car at the exact same time. As such the stats also have a benchmark number to check if consumers are buying new cars in sufficient numbers. 

Article:

The ministry released the revised figures after collecting data from companies that were unable to reply in time when the preliminary report was being compiled. The initial response rate was found to have dropped over 10 points from the previous quarter, apparently due to the virus pandemic.

Ideas:

Most likely there are going to be a lot of figures that are going to be revised in the future. Sometimes its related to governments being a little to optimistic and sometimes it is related delayed reports.

For a while, in the early parts of 2020, there were those who still felt the economy was going to be fine. And at that time maybe with good reason, as no one felt or could see how much things would change in Japan and globally.

Have a nice day and be safe!