Weak yen may actually deter Bank of Japan from hiking rates soon

The yen’s fresh slide to a 34-year low complicates the Bank of Japan’s deliberations on the timing of a next interest rate hike, as a resulting rise in import costs pushes up inflation but also hurts already weak consumption and the broader economy. If that weakness persists and discourages small firms from hiking pay, the … Read more

Japan’s yen hits 34-year-low, heating talk of intervention

Japanese 1,000 yen, 5,000 yen and 10,000 yen banknotes arranged in Kyoto, Japan, on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. The contradictions in Japan’s efforts to protect the yen while slowing the pace of rising bond yields are becoming increasingly clear in currency and debt markets. Photographer: Kentaro Takahashi/Bloomberg via Getty Images Kentaro Takahashi| Bloomberg | Getty … Read more

BOJ sticks to ultra-easy monetary policy amid high uncertainties; yen tumbles

Kazuo Ueda, governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), gestures as he speaks during a news conference at the central bank’s headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. Kiyoshi Ota | Bloomberg | Getty Images Japan’s central bank left its ultra-loose monetary policy unchanged at its final meeting this year, a move that … Read more