Japan’s central bank cut its inflation forecast and kept its unprecedented monetary easing unchanged as tumbling oil prices handicap efforts to reflate the world’s third-biggest economy.
The Bank of Japan will increase the monetary base at an annual pace of 80 trillion yen ($674 billion), it said in a statement in Tokyo today, as forecast by all 33 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News. The BOJ lowered its inflation projection to 1 percent for the fiscal year starting in April.
The risk of consumer prices falling briefly this year as oil slumps highlights the challenge that Governor Haruhiko Kuroda faces in reaching his 2 percent price goal after almost two years of record easing. He maintains that over the longer term the economy will benefit from the lower energy bill, with the central bank today raising its growth estimate to 2.1 percent for next fiscal year.
This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities.
Opinions are the authors — not necessarily OANDA’s, its officers or directors. OANDA’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy apply. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.
Recommended Content
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD gains momentum above 0.6500 ahead of Australian Retail Sales data
AUD/USD trades in positive territory for six consecutive days around 0.6535 during the early Asian session on Monday. The upward momentum of the pair is bolstered by the hawkish stance from the Reserve Bank of Australia after the recent release of Consumer Price Index inflation data last week.
EUR/USD holds positive ground above 1.0700, eyes on German CPI data
EUR/USD trades on a stronger note around 1.0710 during the early Asian trading hours on Monday. The weaker US Dollar below the 106.00 mark provides some support to the major pair.
Gold trades on a softer note below $2,350 on hotter-than-expected US inflation data
Gold price trades on a softer note near $2,335 on Monday during the early Asian session. The recent US economic data showed that US inflationary pressures staying firm, which has added further to market doubts about near-term US Federal Reserve rate cuts.
Ethereum fees drops to lowest level since October, ETH sustains above $3,200
Ethereum’s high transaction fees has been a sticky issue for the blockchain in the past. This led to Layer 2 chains and scaling solutions developing alternatives for users looking to transact at a lower cost.
Week ahead: Hawkish risk as Fed and NFP on tap, Eurozone data eyed too
Fed meets on Wednesday as US inflation stays elevated. Will Friday’s jobs report bring relief or more angst for the markets? Eurozone flash GDP and CPI numbers in focus for the Euro.