Just like Jay Powell is surely hoping for some help from Mother Nature, the central bankers at the BoJ have to be wishing for more on their side of the Pacific. The US Federal Reserve will be looking for a repeat of last year’s Harvey and Irma effects out of Florence. It looks like they’ll need them. Japanese officials have been aided now twice in 2018 already, with inflation perking up again in August. Japan’s CPI rose 1.3% year-over-year last month. It was the first time above 1% since the first three months of the year. In both cases, the acceleration was and is predicated on food. In the earlier instance, despite ... (full story)