BOJ December meeting: No change to monetary policy

Ivan Delgado Independent Analyst

The BoJ policy decision has been published, with the Central Bank communicating no change to its monetary policy.

Key headlines

Maintains short-term interest rate target at -0.1 pct

Maintains 10-year JGB yield target around zero pct

BOJ leaves unchanged pledge to buy jgbs more or less at current pace so its holdings increase at annual pace of around 80 trln yen

Decision on yield curve control made by 8-1 vote, board member Kataoka dissents

kataoka says need to buy JGBs so yield for duration of 10 years and longer falls

Says BOJ should clarify it will ease if domestic factors delay achieving price target

Bank of Japan says Japan's economy expanding moderately, keeps assessment unchanged

BOJ raises assessment on capital expenditure

Cuts assessment on public works investment

Consumption increasing moderately

Capex continues to increase as a trend

Public works investment moving sideways at a high level

Author

Ivan Delgado

Independent Analyst

Established in the Asian continent since 2009, Ivan studied a degree in Business at the University Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona), while also earning a postgraduate degree in Business Administration.

AUD/USD hits eight-month lows below 0.6850 amid bullish USD

AUD/USD stays defensive below 0.6850, hitting an eight-month low in the Asian session on Thursday as the possibility of a steeper Fed rate hike in December helps the US Dollar hold near its highest level since April 2025. Geopolitical uncertainty also supports the safe-haven buck, while the RBA’s cautious, on-hold stance limits the Aussie.

USD/JPY eases from near 160.00 amid looming intervention risks, BoJ hike bets

USD/JPY retreats slightly from an over two-month high as the recent surge back to the 160.00 psychological mark prompted verbal warnings from Japanese authorities and sparked fears of direct FX intervention. Moreover, data showed that Japan’s wholesale inflation picked up again in October, strengthening the case for a BoJ hike in December and lifting the Japanese Yen. However, a bullish US Dollar, bolstered by odds of a jumbo Fed rate hike in December, could cap the pair's downside.

Gold hits fresh one-week low, eyes $3,950 amid sustained USD buying and Fed hike bets

Gold extends its descending trend for the third straight day, sliding back to $3,950, or its lowest level in more than a week. The US Dollar buying remains unabated amid firming Federal Reserve rate-hike expectations, bolstered by hot US consumer inflation figures. Adding to this, Middle East uncertainties further underpin the safe-haven buck, which, in turn, is seen as a key factor exerting downward pressure on the commodity.

MSCI drops Strategy from indexes: What it means for Bitcoin

Strategy and Bitcoin (BTC) came under fresh pressure late Wednesday after MSCI finalized its decision to remove the Bitcoin treasury company from its global indexes, raising concerns about potential selling pressure on MSTR shares and its future Bitcoin purchases.

Why the US Dollar's rally isn't as strong as it looks

The US Dollar Index (DXY) is back at an 18-month high, but most of its climb since August is the Euro falling. Against a wider group of trading partners, the Dollar has gained half as much, and the Federal Reserve has raised rates once this year. The US Dollar Index, which measures the Dollar against six other currencies, is trading near 103.

What the US CPI headline doesn’t tell you about inflation

Brent crude has fallen about a third since mid-October on hopes the Iran war is ending, but diesel, freight and fertiliser costs haven't followed. Those costs reach US consumer prices in stages through 2027 and could keep inflation high after gasoline gets cheaper.