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☆ Crunch time after string of aggressive central bank rate hikes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Major central banks have confounded economists with a string of interest rate rises that, so far, have moderated inflation without causing global recession. So far, nine developed economies have raised rates by a combined 3,915 bps in this cycle. Reuters Graphics2) NEW ZEALANDThe Reserve Bank of New Zealand lifted its cash rate to a 14-year high of 5.5% in May and has kept it there since. Reuters Graphics7) AUSTRALIAThe Reserve Bank of Australia kept rates steady at 4.1% for a third consecutive meeting in September, the last under former Governor Philip Lowe. Reuters Graphics10) JAPANThe Bank of Japan, the world's most dovish major central bank, meets next week.

Persons: BoE, Macklem, Philip Lowe, Lowe's, Michele Bullock, Naomi Rovnick, Harry Robertson, Samuel Indyk, Nell Mackenzie, Alun John, Yoruk Bahceli, Chiara Elisei, Vincent Flasseur, Sumanta Sen, Pasit, Dhara Ranasinghe, Sharon Singleton Organizations: European Central Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, UNITED, Reuters, Federal Reserve, Reserve Bank of, BRITAIN, of England, CANADA Bank of Canada, Bank of Canada, ECB, Norges Bank, SWEDEN Traders, Swiss, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: U.S, Japan, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, NORWAY, Reserve Bank of Australia, SWEDEN, Swedish, SWITZERLAND Swiss, JAPAN

CFTC data show that funds and speculators are holding a chunky net short yen position worth around $8.2 billion. Contrast that with the euro position, and it is not difficult to envisage a potential narrowing of the gulf in the weeks and months ahead. Citi's U.S. economic surprises index has been positive since May and the euro zone index has been in negative territory since May. Euro zone interest rate traders reckon the ECB is done raising rates, and are now betting on around 70 bps of rate cuts next year. "Today's ECB policy update and stronger U.S. data for Q3 is further encouraging those expectations placing downward pressure on EUR/USD," MUFG's Lee Hardman wrote on Thursday.

Persons: Pedro Nunes, gunning, MUFG's Lee Hardman, Jamie McGeever, David Evans Organizations: Bank of, REUTERS, Rights, Central, ECB, U.S, HSBC, Futures, CFTC, Bank of Japan, Deutsche Bank, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Bank of Portugal, Carregado, Alenquer, Portugal, Rights ORLANDO , Florida, U.S

☆ Japan's exit from ultra-easy policy 'may not come as early,' says Daiwa Securities
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailJapan's exit from ultra-easy policy 'may not come as early,' says Daiwa SecuritiesDaiwa Securities' Keiko Tashiro said the BOJ will likely take a cautious stance: "I think they'll want to watch and see, because they don't want to dampen anything that might happen if they raise interest rates too early."

Persons: Keiko Tashiro Organizations: Daiwa Securities Daiwa Securities

☆ Euro, sterling slide versus dollar ahead of U.S. inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The dollar index , which tracks the currency against six peers including yen, euro and sterling, held firm, though moves were subdued, up 0.13% to 104.73, as traders awaited the U.S. consumer price index (CPI) reading for August. The release comes just a week before Federal Reserve officials gather to decide on interest rate policy. The euro fell 0.2% to $1.0731 as markets raised their bets on further ECB rate hikes despite recent data showing the decline in euro zone business activity accelerated faster than initially thought last month. A source told Reuters that the ECB expects inflation in the 20-nation euro zone to remain above 3% next year, bolstering the case for a 10th consecutive interest rate increase on Thursday. YEN RETRACES GAINSThe yen fell as traders further digested comments from Japan's top central banker on a possible early exit from its negative interest rate policy.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, CME's, BoE, Stephen Gallo, Jim Reid, Deutsche Bank . Sterling, YEN RETRACES, Hiroshige Seko, Kazuo Ueda's, Ueda, Joice Alves, Brigid Riley, Alison Williams, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: REUTERS, Sterling, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve, Federal, ECB, FX, BMO Capital Markets, U.S, CPI, Reuters, Deutsche Bank ., Bank of Japan, Fed, Thomson Locations: U.S, Japan, London, Tokyo

☆ Dollar edges up ahead of inflation reading, euro awaits ECB decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Joice Alves | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The dollar index , which tracks the currency against six peers including yen, euro and sterling, held firm, though moves were subdued, up 0.1% to 104.70, as traders awaited the U.S. consumer price index (CPI) reading for August. The release comes just a week before Federal Reserve officials gather to decide on interest rate policy. Elsewhere, the euro edged 0.1% lower to $1.0742 ahead of the ECB meeting on Thursday. A source told Reuters that the ECB expects inflation in the 20-nation euro zone to remain above 3% next year, bolstering the case for a 10th consecutive interest rate increase on Thursday. YEN RETRACES GAINSThe yen fell as traders further digested comments from Japan's top central banker on a possible early exit from its negative interest rate policy.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, CME's, Jim Reid, Deutsche Bank . Sterling, YEN RETRACES, Hiroshige Seko, Kazuo Ueda's, Ueda, Joice Alves, Brigid Riley, Alison Williams Organizations: REUTERS, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve, Commerzbank, ECB, Reuters, Deutsche Bank ., Bank of Japan, Fed, Thomson Locations: Japan, London, Tokyo

☆ Dollar steady ahead of key US inflation data, yen retraces gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Brigid Riley | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In the broader currency market, the dollar stood firm, though moves were subdued as traders stayed on guard ahead of the closely-watched U.S. inflation reading out later on Wednesday. Wednesday's U.S. consumer price index (CPI) data for August comes just a week before Federal Reserve officials gather to decide on interest rate policy. While the central bank is largely expected to keep rates on hold at next week's meeting, according to CME's FedWatch Tool, the Fed's next move in November remains more uncertain. "In recent months, European inflation, core inflation in particular, has fallen more slowly than expected. "The high inflation rate warrants another rate hike, but the economic indicators ... signal that a recession is imminent."

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Kazuo Ueda, Alvin Tan, Ueda, Hiroshige Seko, Sterling, CME's, Tina Teng, Brigid Riley, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Japan, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, Federal Reserve, U.S, Wednesday's, Fed, CMC Markets, European Central Bank, Reuters, Rabobank, Thomson Locations: U.S, Asia, Wednesday's U.S

☆ Dollar steady as U.S. inflation data awaited, yen retraces gains
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

More broadly, the dollar held firm, though moves were subdued as traders awaited a closely watched U.S. inflation reading due later on Wednesday. Analysts attributed the slide to an unwinding of long dollar positions after a recent run of resilient U.S. economic data. Wednesday's U.S. consumer price index, or CPI, data for August comes just a week before Federal Reserve officials gather to decide on interest rate policy. "In recent months, European inflation, core inflation in particular, has fallen more slowly than expected. "The high inflation rate warrants another rate hike, but the economic indicators ... signal that a recession is imminent."

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Alvin Tan, Ueda, Hiroshige Seko, Sterling, CME's, Tina Teng Organizations: Bank of Japan, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, Federal Reserve, U.S, Fed, CMC Markets, European Central Bank, Reuters, ECB, Rabobank Locations: U.S, Asia

☆ What will BOJ's policy normalisation path look like?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda speaks at a group interview with media in Tokyo, Japan, May 25, 2023. But his hawkish remarks have pushed up the 10-year JGB yield to a near decade-high of 0.715% on Tuesday. It also likely sees 0.8% as a threshold it wants to defend to avoid the 10-year yield from reaching 1%. That could mean the BOJ will retain the yield cap as a precaution when it raises short-term rates, some analysts say. There are no scheduled public appearances of BOJ executives until governor Ueda's regular news conference, to be held after the BOJ's next two-day policy meeting ending on Sept. 22.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Kim Kyung, Kazuo Ueda's hawkish, Ueda, Haruhiko Kuroda, Ueda's, Leika Kihara, Tetsushi, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Japan, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Japan, Rengo, NEXT, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan Finance Minister: Expect BOJ to pursue inflation target with appropriate policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks during the presidency press conference at the G7 meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors, at Toki Messe in Niigata, Japan, Saturday, May 13, 2023. "Specific monetary policy conduct is up to the BOJ to decide," Suzuki said. "I expect the BOJ to continue to liaise with the government closely and conduct monetary policy appropriately, while taking the economy, prices and financial conditions into account, to achieve its price stability target in a stable and sustainable way." Japanese long-term rates spiked on Monday to their highest in nine years and eight months on expectation that the BOJ could shift away from its negative rate policy, following Ueda's remarks in an interview with the Yomiuri Shimbun. The yen also rose sharply against the dollar on Monday after Ueda said on Saturday the central bank could end its negative interest rate policy when achievement of its 2% inflation target is in sight, signaling possible interest rate hikes.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Shuji, Suzuki, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: Toki, Rights, Japanese Finance, Bank of Japan, Yomiuri Shimbun, Thomson Locations: Niigata, Japan

☆ Yen stands tall, dollar finds floor ahead of US inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. The Japanese currency was last marginally lower at 146.61 per dollar, after scaling a one-week top of 145.91 in the previous session. Elsewhere, the U.S. dollar reversed some of its close to 0.5% loss against a basket of currencies on Monday. The U.S. dollar index , which ended last week with an eight-week winning streak, rose 0.03% to 104.60, after falling 0.46% in the previous session. The offshore yuan found some support near Monday's one-week high and last bought 7.3020 per dollar.

Persons: Florence Lo, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Chris Weston, we've, Tony Sycamore, Sterling steadied, bitcoin, Ether, Kyle Rodda, Rae Wee, Sam Holmes Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, New Zealand, Fed, Capital.com, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, United States, U.S, Tony Sycamore ., Monday's, China

☆ Yen stands tall, dollar finds floor ahead of U.S. inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Photo taken on April 20, 2022 shows the Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes in Tokyo, Japan. The Japanese currency was last marginally lower at 146.61 per dollar, after scaling a one-week top of 145.91 in the previous session. Elsewhere, the U.S. dollar reversed some of its close to 0.5% loss against a basket of currencies on Monday. The U.S. dollar index, which ended last week with an eight-week winning streak, rose 0.03% to 104.60, after falling 0.46% in the previous session. The offshore yuan found some support near Monday's one-week high and last bought 7.3020 per dollar.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Chris Weston, we've, Tony Sycamore, Sterling steadied, bitcoin, Ether, Kyle Rodda Organizations: U.S, Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, New Zealand, Fed Locations: Tokyo, Japan, United States, U.S, Tony Sycamore ., Monday's, China

☆ Japan corporate mood sours on fears of China-led global downtown: Reuters poll
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The gloom across the business sector underlines the challenge for Japanese policymakers and raises doubts that exports could fuel an economic recovery in the face of weak domestic demand. The Reuters Tankan monthly poll of 502 big manufacturers, showed a sharp fall in the sector's sentiment index to plus 4, from plus 12 in August. Compared with three month ago, the manufacturers' sentiment index -- calculated by subtracting the percentage of pessimistic respondents from optimistic ones -- was down four points and suggests decline in the quarterly tankan survey. The Reuters Tankan non-manufacturers index also dropped nine points to hit plus 23 in September from the previous month, the biggest decline since May 2020, the survey showed. The business sentiment over the coming three months showed the manufacturers' index flat in December and the service-sector index slightly down at plus 21 at year-end.

Persons: Tetsushi, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Reuters, Bank of, Overseas, Thomson Locations: China, TOKYO, Bank of Japan's, Ukraine, U.S

☆ Morning Bid: China developers catch break, BOJ hawks take flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The German share price index DAX graph is pictured at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, September 8, 2023. The drama isn't over: Sources say the extension applies to six of eight bonds under discussion, with voting delayed on the other two. The embattled developer has already dodged default twice this month, winning a three-year extension on offshore bond payments and making a last-minute coupon payment. Traders certainly lean toward a quarter-point hike next week, putting the probability at about 80%. But they're split on the chances of another, laying just north of 50/50 odds of one by March.

Persons: Kevin Buckland, Kazuo Ueda's, rumblings, BOE, Catherine Mann, it's, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Staff, HK, Bank of Japan, Bank of England, Federal Reserve, ECB, Fed, Traders, Spain CPI, Thomson Locations: Frankfurt, Germany, Asia, Spain

☆ Wall Street gains, dollar eases ahead of CPI report
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Stephen Culp | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] People are seen on Wall Street outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., March 19, 2021. The relatively languid session appeared to be the calm before a storm of U.S. economic data this week, with Wednesday's crucial consumer prices report (CPI) paramount. "Investors are focusing on how they will respond to Wednesday's CPI report," Stovall added. Emerging market stocks rose 0.48%. Gold prices headed higher in opposition to the dollar.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Sam Stovall, Stovall, Kazuo Ueda, Sterling, Brent, Stephen Culp, Amanda Cooper, William Maclean, Angus MacSwan Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Bank of, Nasdaq, Tesla Inc, CFRA Research, CPI, U.S, Financial, Bank of Japan, Dow Jones, Bank's, Japan's Nikkei, Treasury, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Bank of Japan, New York, U.S . Federal, Japan, Asia, Pacific, Russian, Saudi, London

☆ Yen jumps on BOJ's comments; dollar dips as US inflation eyed
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Chuck Mikolajczak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. Aside from data on consumer prices due Wednesday, investors will also see producer prices and retail sales numbers on Thursday. Traders have been closely watching for any signs of intervention from Japan to shore up the yen since it weakened past the 145 per dollar threshold last month. The dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against peers including the yen, was last down 0.32% to 104.51, after falling to 104.41, its lowest since Sept. 5. Against the softer dollar, sterling gained 0.5% to $1.2527, continuing to recover from a three-month low of $1.2445 hit last week.

Persons: Florence Lo, Kazuo Ueda, Edward Moya, CME's, Chuck Mikolajczak, Mark Potter Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, Traders, Thomson Locations: Ueda, New York, Japan

☆ Shares rise, dollar drops vs yen after BOJ hint of shift in policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Amanda Cooper | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The yen surged after BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said the central bank could end its policy of negative interest rates when the achievement of its 2% inflation target is in sight. Global shares, as reflected by the MSCI All-World index (.MIWD00000PUS), rose 0.1%, supported by a bounce in stocks in Europe, where the STOXX 600 (.STOXX) gained 0.3%. Last week, the STOXX posted its longest stretch of losses in 5-1/2 years. Economists polled by Reuters expect consumer prices to have risen by 3.6% from last year, up from July's 3.2% reading. The ECB meets on Thursday to set interest rates and markets have all but priced out any chance of a hike.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Fiona Cincotta, Marcella Chow, Scott Murdoch, Simon Cameron, Moore, Mark Heinrich, Chizu Organizations: Bank of Japan, Global, European Central Bank, Reuters, JPMorgan Asset Management, Brent, ECB, Thomson Locations: China, Europe, U.S, Asia, Sydney

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. The greenback tumbled ahead of U.S. inflation data due on Wednesday, with traders on the lookout for whether the world's largest economy is indeed on track for a "soft landing", and whether the Federal Reserve has further to go in raising rates. "It seems that Ueda's comments were intended to stop the yen's slide against the dollar," said Takehiko Masuzawa, trading head at Phillip Securities Japan. DOLLAR SLIDEThe dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against peers including the yen, was last down 0.26% to 104.59, near an almost one-week low. It was last nearly 0.8% higher at 7.2895 per dollar, while its offshore counterpart similarly was up about 0.9% to 7.3003 per dollar.

Persons: Florence Lo, Kazuo Ueda stoked, Ueda, Takehiko, Francesco Pesole, Matt Simpson, Rae Wee, Junko Fujita, Joice Alves, Jason Neely Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Japan, Federal Reserve, Yomiuri, Phillip Securities Japan, Treasury, ING, Aussie, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, LONDON, Japan, United States, Singapore, Tokyo, London

☆ Analysis: BOJ's hawkish tilt suggests end to super-easy policy approaching
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Another board member, Junko Nakagawa, laid out the conditions for ending negative rates, notably a continued improvement in household confidence. "When we see many people share prospects that wages will keep rising, we may be able to exit (negative rates)." Less than half expect negative rates to end in 2024. There seems to be no consensus within the BOJ board, however, on when or how the bank would dismantle Kuroda's complex policy framework. Ueda said the BOJ could end negative rates if it believed that inflation would sustainably hold above the target.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Kim Kyung, Ueda, Tamura, Haruhiko Kuroda, Naoki Tamura, Kuroda, Mari Iwashita, Hajime Takata, Junko Nakagawa, Shinichi Uchida, Leika, Sam Holmes Organizations: Japan, REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Daiwa Securities, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, U.S

Japanese yen and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen with a currency exchange rate graph in this illustration picture taken June 16, 2022. "It seems that Ueda's comments were intended to stop the yen's slide against the dollar," said Takehiko Masuzawa, trading head at Phillip Securities Japan. Christopher Wong, a currency strategist at OCBC, attributed the dollar's slide to traders "lightening up" on their long dollar positions ahead of the data. Against the weaker U.S. dollar, the Aussie and the New Zealand dollar were among the biggest beneficiaries, each rising more than 0.5%. The Australian dollar was last 0.6% higher at $0.64165, while the kiwi gained 0.52% to $0.5914.

Persons: Florence Lo, Kazuo Ueda stoked, Ueda, Takehiko, Sterling, Christopher Wong, Alvin Tan, Matt Simpson, Rae Wee, Junko Fujita, Sam Holmes, Christopher Cushing Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Japan, Yomiuri, Federal Reserve, Phillip Securities Japan, British, Fed, Treasury, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, Index, Aussie, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Rights SINGAPORE, Japan, Asia, United States, U.S, Singapore, Tokyo

[1/2] A man walks in front of the headquarters of Bank of Japan in Tokyo, Japan, January 18, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 12 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever, financial markets columnist. They now expect the central bank's 'yield curve control' policy to end in October, compared with April 2024, and for the negative interest rate policy to end in January 2024, versus December 2024. Beyond the Japanese policy drama, investors will also have the latest Indian inflation and industrial production data, and Australian business and consumer sentiment figures to digest on Tuesday. The currency is getting little support from the interest rate outlook - economists currently expect the RBI to keep rates on hold then start easing policy the second quarter of next year.

Persons: Issei Kato, Jamie McGeever, Kazuo Ueda, Josie Kao Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, of, Government Bond, Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Reserve Bank of India's, Bank, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Indonesian, Philippine, India, Australia, Korea

☆ Yen jumps on Ueda's remarks, dollar tentative ahead of U.S. inflation print
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A sheet of newly-designed Japanese 10,000 yen banknotes at the National Printing Bureau Tokyo plant in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday, June 28, 2023. Ueda told the Yomiuri newspaper in an interview that the BOJ could have enough data by year-end to determine whether it can end negative rates. "Ueda is laying the foundations for an exit from negative interest rates, and he is giving plenty of notice," said Matt Simpson, senior market analyst at City Index. The dollar index , which capped last week with eight straight weeks of gains, its longest run since 2014, dipped slightly to 104.84. The Australian dollar , often used as a liquid proxy for the yuan, rose 0.29% to $0.6397, while the New Zealand dollar edged 0.28% higher to $0.5900.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda stoked, Ueda, Matt Simpson, Alvin Tan, Index's Simpson Organizations: National Printing Bureau, Bank of Japan, Yomiuri, Federal Reserve, British, Sterling, Fed, U.S, Treasury, Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, New Zealand Locations: National Printing Bureau Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan, U.S, Asia, United States

☆ Morning Bid: Japan jolt as inflation forks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A man walks past the headquarters of Bank of Japan in Tokyo, Japan, January 17, 2023. "If we judge that Japan can achieve its inflation target even after ending negative rates, we'll do so," Ueda said. The yen surged 1% against the dollar, knocking the U.S. currency back more generally (.DXY) on the foreign exchange markets. If Japan's does tighten further by yearend, it comes as the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank rate hike campaigns are coming to halt. News of an expected return of headline Chinese consumer price inflation to positive territory last month and above-forecast August lending data helped mainland shares (.CSI300) higher, with the yuan bouncing back from 16-year lows.

Persons: Issei Kato, Mike Dolan, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Alibaba, Daniel Zhang, Bank of England policymaker Catherine Mann, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, U.S, Tokyo Stock, Nikkei, Global, Treasury, yearend, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, ECB, Fed, CPI, OpenAI, Wall Street, SoftBank Group, underwriters, Bank of England, Oracle, Graphics, Graphics Reuters, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S, Hong Kong, Ottawa

☆ BOJ head Ueda signals chance of ending negative rates - Yomiuri
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The central bank could have enough data by year-end to determine whether it can end negative rates, Ueda told the paper in an interview on Wednesday. "If we judge that Japan can achieve its inflation target even after ending negative rates, we'll do so," he added. The BOJ currently guides short-term interest rates at -0.1% under its negative rate policy. Ueda repeated the stance in the interview, saying the BOJ will "patiently" maintain ultra-loose policy for the time being. Under a negative rate policy, banks and other financial institutions are required to pay interest for parking excess cash -- beyond what authorities say they must keep on hand for safety reasons -- with the central bank.

Persons: Florence Lo, BOJ, Ueda BOJ, Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, we're, Leika, Jonathan Oatis, Josie Kao, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Yomiuri, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan

Real wages adjusted for inflation fell in July for a 16th straight month in a sign households continued to feel the pinch from rising prices, separate data showed, boding ill for consumption. Exports remained solid in April-June with net external demand contributing 1.8% points to GDP growth, unchanged from the preliminary reading. But shipments to China slumped 13.4% in July to mark the 8th straight month of falls. Japan's economy has seen a delayed recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic this year, as rising living costs faltering global demand cloud the outlook. Given such uncertainties, Bank of Japan policymakers have stressed their resolve to keep monetary policy ultra-loose until the recent cost-driven inflation turns into price rises driven by domestic demand and higher wage growth.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Takeshi Minami, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Sam Holmes Organizations: Food, REUTERS, Norinchukin Research, Private, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, TOKYO, China, Norinchukin

☆ BOJ policymaker calls for keeping ultra-easy policy, sets high bar on exit
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

As a result, it was hard to say when inflation could hit the bank's 2% inflation target in a sustainable manner, she said. "But we're not at a stage where we can judge that Japan has achieved our price target in a stable, sustainable fashion." The BOJ has defined sustainable inflation as price rises driven not by rising raw material costs, but strong domestic demand accompanied by continued wage increases. But she laid out in detail the conditions for ending negative rates. "When we see many people share prospects that wages will keep rising, we may be able to exit (negative rates)," she added.

Persons: Androniki, Nakagawa, Bank of Japan policymaker Junko Nakagawa, Haruhiko Kuroda, We're, Kazuo Ueda, Leika Kihara, Tom Hogue, Kim Coghill, Emelia Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Japan, Tokyo, KOCHI, Kochi

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