Investors are facing mixed signals and a jumble of contradictory indicators leaving them with little to go on ahead of the Bank of Japan’s next meeting, which concludes Thursday.
Bets are split almost evenly as to whether the benchmark rate will be kept at 0.25% or raised. According to a Bloomberg survey of economists earlier this month, 52% believe the central bank will wait until January to make a move, while 44% expect an increase this week.
Local press reports suggest that BOJ policy board members are inclined to hold off for another month to see how markets react to the administration of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, while analyses tend to be on the fence.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.