BoJ’s Ueda: July rate increase aligns with the Bank of Japan's economic expectations
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda responded to a parliamentary question on Friday, saying that the Japanese economy is moving in line with price target protections. Ueda further stated that he will closely watch the market moves with a sense of urgency as uncertainties remain.
Key quotes
Sees stocks recovering from mid-August onward.
Adjusts overblown concerns about the US economy.
To monitor markets with high urgency.
Sees financial markets in unstable conditions.
July rate increase aligned with the Bank of Japan's economic expectations.
Emphasizes the need for clear communication of the bank's policies.
To maintain cautious communication.
Market reaction to the BoJ’s Ueda speech
At the time of writing, USD/JPY is trading 0.11% lower on the day to trade at 146.12.
Bank of Japan FAQs
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) is the Japanese central bank, which sets monetary policy in the country. Its mandate is to issue banknotes and carry out currency and monetary control to ensure price stability, which means an inflation target of around 2%.
The Bank of Japan has embarked in an ultra-loose monetary policy since 2013 in order to stimulate the economy and fuel inflation amid a low-inflationary environment. The bank’s policy is based on Quantitative and Qualitative Easing (QQE), or printing notes to buy assets such as government or corporate bonds to provide liquidity. In 2016, the bank doubled down on its strategy and further loosened policy by first introducing negative interest rates and then directly controlling the yield of its 10-year government bonds.
The Bank’s massive stimulus has caused the Yen to depreciate against its main currency peers. This process has exacerbated more recently due to an increasing policy divergence between the Bank of Japan and other main central banks, which have opted to increase interest rates sharply to fight decades-high levels of inflation. The BoJ’s policy of holding down rates has led to a widening differential with other currencies, dragging down the value of the Yen.
A weaker Yen and the spike in global energy prices have led to an increase in Japanese inflation, which has exceeded the BoJ’s 2% target. With wage inflation becoming a cause of concern, the BoJ looks to move away from ultra loose policy, while trying to avoid slowing the activity too much.