Bank of Japan could hike rates regardless of its inflation forecasts – report

Reuters is out with a Bank of Japan sources report that says there will be less of an emphasis on inflation. The report also says that the upcoming round of inflation forecasts won’t hint at hikes.

• BOJ could hike rates regardless of its inflation forecasts, as long as
  it becomes more convinced than before that Japan will sustainably hit
  its price goal.
• BOJ expected to project inflation to stay around
  its 2% target through early 2027, but forecasts alone won’t serve as
  strong hints of a near-term rate hike, say three sources familiar with
  its thinking.
• “Various data must be scrutinised, not just the inflation outlook,” one
  of the sources said, pointing to the importance of other indicators such
  as consumption, wages and the broader economy.
• Market watchers split between expecting July hike or something in Q4
• A rebound in consumption is likely a prerequisite for another rate hike

USD/JPY is up 62 pips to 153.89 so far today and the yen is the G10 laggard.

This article was written by Adam Button at www.forexlive.com.