This morning, the Bank of Japan left its key interest rate unchanged at 0.5%. This decision was anticipated by both economists and the market, and according to the BoJ, it was reached unanimously, Commerzbank’s FX analyst Volkmar Baur notes.
Bank of Japan to continue proceeding cautiously
“However, today’s meeting focused more on the Bank of Japan’s bond-buying programme. Last summer, the BoJ began reducing its monthly gross purchase volume by around JPY 400 billion each quarter. Consequently, it has only purchased around JPY 4 trillion in bonds per month for the past two months. From April next year, the BoJ intends to reduce the pace at which it cuts its purchase volume to JPY 200 billion each quarter. “
“This means that the BoJ will still buy fewer bonds each quarter than the previous quarter, but by half as much. There was some uncertainty surrounding this decision, and according to the BoJ, there was also one dissenting vote (out of nine) against it. However, according to a Bloomberg survey, most economists had expected this move anyway.”
“Therefore, there were no surprises today, which shows us once again that the Bank of Japan will continue to proceed cautiously when in doubt and will find it difficult to surprise the market. Consequently, the Japanese yen is likely to continue struggling to appreciate significantly against even a weaker US dollar in the coming months, which should result in continued weakness against the euro.”
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.
