At the highly-anticipated July policy review meeting, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) board members decided to leave their current monetary policy settings unchanged, maintaining rates and 10yr JGB yield target at -10bps and 0.00% respectively.
Summary of the statement
BoJ maintains band around 10-year JGB yield target at up and down 0.5% each.
BoJ makes decision on ycc by 8-1 vote.
BoJ board member Nakamura dissents to decision on YCC.
BoJ board member Nakamura dissents to decision on YCC, considering it was desirable to allow greater flexibility after confirming rise in firms' earnings power from sources such as financial statements statistics.
BoJ board member Nakamura dissents to decision on YCC but in favour of idea of conducting YCC with greater flexibility.
Will guide yield curve control more flexibly.
Appropriate to heighten sustainability of monetary easing.
Will operate yield curve control more flexibly to respond nimbly to upside, downside risks.
Will keep offering fixed-rate operations for 10-year JGB yield at 1.0%.
In order to encourage formation of yield curve that is consistent guideline, boj will continue with large-scale jgb buying and make nimble responses for each maturity.
For exmaple, by increasing amount of JGB buying and conducting fixed-rate purchase ops and funds-supplying ops against pooled collateral.
BoJ widens range of 5-10 year bond buying, offering to buy as much as JPY900 bln each time, up from JPY875 bln.
Market reaction
USD/JPY’s renewed upside gained extra traction on the BoJ’s policy announcements. The pair is currently trading at 140.06, up 0.45% on the day, having tested 141.08 in a knee-jerk reaction to the BoJ decision.
USD/JPY: 15-minutes chart
Interest rates FAQs
What are interest rates?
Interest rates are charged by financial institutions on loans to borrowers and are paid as interest to savers and depositors. They are influenced by base lending rates, which are set by central banks in response to changes in the economy. Central banks normally have a mandate to ensure price stability, which in most cases means targeting a core inflation rate of around 2%.
If inflation falls below target the central bank may cut base lending rates, with a view to stimulating lending and boosting the economy. If inflation rises substantially above 2% it normally results in the central bank raising base lending rates in an attempt to lower inflation.
How do interest rates impact currencies?
Higher interest rates generally help strengthen a country’s currency as they make it a more attractive place for global investors to park their money.
How do interest rates influence the price of Gold?
Higher interest rates overall weigh on the price of Gold because they increase the opportunity cost of holding Gold instead of investing in an interest-bearing asset or placing cash in the bank.
If interest rates are high that usually pushes up the price of the US Dollar (USD), and since Gold is priced in Dollars, this has the effect of lowering the price of Gold.
What is the Fed Funds rate?
The Fed funds rate is the overnight rate at which US banks lend to each other. It is the oft-quoted headline rate set by the Federal Reserve at its FOMC meetings. It is set as a range, for example 4.75%-5.00%, though the upper limit (in that case 5.00%) is the quoted figure.
Market expectations for future Fed funds rate are tracked by the CME FedWatch tool, which shapes how many financial markets behave in anticipation of future Federal Reserve monetary policy decisions.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD holds steady at around 1.0750 ahead of this week's key events
EUR/USD continues to trade sideways at around 1.0750 on Monday. The cautious market mood helps the US Dollar (USD) hold its ground as investors gear up for key macroeconomic data releases and central bank meetings of this week.
GBP/USD retreats toward 1.2550 from daily highs
GBP/USD lost its traction and retreated to the 1.2550 area after rising toward 1.2600 in the European session. October labor market data from the UK and November inflation data from the US will be released on Tuesday ahead of the Fed's and the BoE's policy meetings.
Gold extends daily slide toward $1,980 Premium
Gold price remains under heavy bearish pressure and trades at its lowest level in nearly three weeks at around $1,980. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield is up more than 1% on the day, weighing on XAU/USD ahead of this week's key macroeconomic events.
Bitcoin price backtracks to $40,000 as whales move to sell $671 million worth of BTC
Bitcoin price crashed on Monday for the first time in nearly three weeks. The market was expecting a bullish continuation until the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) approves a spot BTC ETF in January 2024.
Big week ahead for commodities with FOMC, ECB and BOE in focus – What's next?
The most highly anticipated week of the year and quite possibly the most pivotal moment in monetary policy history is finally here – as central banks from Washington to Frankfurt to London and beyond prepare to deliver their final interest rate decisions of 2023.