Japan avoids recession with weak return to progress – enterprise reside | Enterprise

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Japan has slotted in on the backside of the G7 progress desk, together with the UK:

With Canada and the US but to report their GDP knowledge for October-December, right here’s what we all know to date:

Share Competitors amongst UK home sellers at 11-year excessive Competitors amongst UK home sellers is working at an eleven-year excessive, giving patrons extra alternatives and preserving costs pegged this month.

Property portal Rightmove is reporting this morning that the common asking value for a newly listed houses dipped by simply £12 this month, to £368,019.

And with extra homes on the marker – after a document variety of early-bird new sellers coming to market sinceBoxing Day and in January – potential patrons have loads of selection.

Rightmove says the excessive variety of houses on the market is constant to profit patrons, giving them extra selection and extra energy to barter.

And with final November’s price range behind us, web confidence amongst patrons and sellers in January has risen again to its highest degree since September 2025, Rightmove experiences.

Ought to the Financial institution of England reduce rates of interest at its subsequent assembly, in March, that would give debtors one other elevate, as the height spring promoting season approaches.

Based on Rightmove, the common asking value is identical as a yr in the past, after that £12 shuffle decrease.

That’s regardless of a document asking value improve for the time of yr in January, which suggests costs are up by 2.8% since December

Because the market is “nonetheless very price-sensitive,” sellers have to pitch their properties realistically, says Colleen Babcock, property skilled at Rightmove:

“Just about flat costs in February actually must be seen alongside what occurred in January.

After the extended uncertainty within the run as much as the late November Finances, plus the standard Christmas slowdown, we noticed exercise decide up once more from Boxing Day. Many sellers, a few of whom had been holding again due to the Finances, got here to market in early 2026 with renewed confidence, which helped to drive that bumper January value rise.

However the market fundamentals haven’t modified. There are nonetheless a number of houses on the market, and shopping for exercise isn’t as sturdy as this time final yr, when many patrons have been speeding to maneuver earlier than the stamp obligation improve in England. So in February, sellers have taken a extra cautious strategy by holding onto January’s positive factors relatively than pushing costs greater, at a time when competitors is excessive and the market remains to be very price-sensitive.”

After a bullish January, sellers total suppose higher of asking for extra as elevated competitors stifles growths. Yearly costs remained flat however many sellers tiptoed greater in February hoping finish of yr price range restraints being now eliminated would launch pent up demand.… pic.twitter.com/PQbemcjmJN

— Emma Fildes (@emmafildes) February 16, 2026

Share Japan's inventory market dips An digital inventory board displaying Japan's Nikkei index at a securities agency right this moment {Photograph}: Eugene Hoshiko/AP Shares fell in Tokyo as traders digest right this moment’s weaker-than-expected progress report.

The Nikkei 225 index dipped by 0.24%, whereas the broader Topix shed 0.8%.

Masahiro Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Administration, mentioned:

“I figured the GDP figures can be handled as previous figures, however seeing the Nikkei common struggling to achieve, there could also be some slight impression.”

Share Introduction: Japan avoids recession with weak return to progress Good morning, and welcome to our rolling protection of enterprise, the monetary markets and the world economic system.

Japan has escaped falling into recession, simply, with a weak return to progress that highlights the necessity for punchy measures from its new authorities to spur the economic system on.

Japanese GDP expanded by simply 0.1% in October-December, contemporary knowledge from Japan’s Cupboard Workplace reveals, lacking forecasts of 0.4% progress.

That follows a contraction of 0.7% in July-September, and means Japan has prevented a technical recession – two adverse quarters of progress in a row.

Non-public consumption drove the growth, whereas exports and public spending have been weak.

Shinichiro Kobayashi, chief economist at Mitsubishi UFJ Analysis and Consulting, defined:

“Private consumption confirmed resilience, however whether or not this resilience might be sustained will rely upon whether or not value aid measures will make an impression and whether or not actual wages will flip optimistic.”

Japan’s economic system has been damage by Donald Trump’s commerce struggle, which elevated tariffs on Japanese items getting into the US.

The diplomatic row between Beijing and Tokyo over the safety of Taiwan additionally weighed on the economic system, with Chinese language tourism to Japan virtually halving.

The information comes only a week after prime minister Sanae Takaichi gained a landslide election victory, having promised “accountable and proactive fiscal insurance policies”.

Takaichi was on account of meet with Financial institution of Japan governor Kazuo Ueda, of their first bilateral assembly for the reason that election.

Final November, Takaichi unveiled an enormous ¥21.3tn (£100bn) stimulus bundle in an effort to spur financial progress and defend households from the rising value of dwelling. Additional measures could also be wanted….