Data from Japan today kicks off with the regular Thursday International Transactions in Securities from the Ministry of Finance, at 2350GMT:

  • Japan Buying Foreign Bonds (previous week was Y -903.8bn)
  • Japan Buying Foreign Stocks (previous week was Y -3.0 bn)
  • Foreign Buying Japan Bonds (previous week was Y 38.7 bn)
  • Foreign Buying Japan Stocks (previous week was Y 47.9bn)

Last week’s “Japan Buying Foreign Bonds” showed the first negative in flows for 6 weeks:

Japan Buying Foreign Bonds August 2013

Also at 2350GMT we get:

  • July retail trade y/y: expected is +0.1%, prior was +1.6%
  • July retail sales m/m: expected is -1.0%, prior was -0.2%

While none of this data today is big market focus by itself, they will all incrementally add to the picture we have of the Japanese economy and capital flows.

At 0130GMT BOJ board member Yoshihisa Morimoto is speaking to business leaders in Iwate, with a press conference scheduled after.