Japanese banks

Greg Keeley, chief operating officer of SMBC Americas, has left the Japanese bank's Americas arm, according to an internal email sent to staff on Monday. Keeley had joined the company only last year. The news is circulating among banking and financial services professionals, with industry observers noting the relatively short tenure and the lack of a stated reason for his exit so far.

Forecasters expect Japan's retail sales for August to extend their run of year-on-year increases when the data is released. The preview points to continued resilience in consumer spending, a key gauge for the Bank of Japan's policy outlook and for analysts assessing the strength of the country's economic recovery.