Central Banks
Bank of Japan
Japan's economy grew better than expected in the second quarter, but a lack of wage growth and labor shortages are likely to cause problems.
Japan's economy expanded at an annualized rate of 4.0 percent, compared with a median estimate for a 2.5 percent annualized increase in a Reuters poll.
Global policymakers may finally be able to spur long-sought inflation, if they just wait.
Bank of Japan policymakers contested how much to disclose about a possible exit from quantitative easing at the bank's June 15-16 meeting.
Both the price of gold and the euro recover ground lost after loose policy reaffirmed by the ECB.
The Bank of Japan left rates unchanged, but cut its inflation forecast. Robin Harding of the Financial Times has all the details.
Asian indexes closed higher on Thursday as investors digested the Bank of Japan's monetary policy decision.
The Bank of Japan is keeping monetary policy steady while cutting inflation forecasts for the next two years. Vasileios Gkionakis, managing director, co-head of strategy research at Unicredit, discusses.
The Bank of Japan has pushed back the time frame for hitting its 2 percent inflation target. Takashi Miwa, chief Japan economist at Nomura, weighs in.
Hiromichi Shirakawa of Credit Suisse says Japanese corporations are unlikely to increase capital expenditure due to long-term growth expectations.
The Bank of Japan is insistent on holding onto its 2 percent inflation target, but it's unlikely to meet that target in the near future, says Alvin Liew of UOB.
The Bank of Japan may adjust near-term inflation forecasts, but it's is unlikely to budge on its medium-term outlook, says Dwyfor Evans of State Street Global Markets.
Markets could start to question the long-term sustainability of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's economic program – known as 'Abenomics'.
As Shinzo Abe's approval declines, markets could question the stability of 'Abenomics', Derek Halpenny, market researcher at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, said.
The dollar eased against the yen on Wednesday, after Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen said interest rates hikes would be gradual.
Headlines about the Trump administration's relationship with Russia could delay tax reform, hitting the US dollar: Credit Suisse
Most Asian indexes closed higher on Monday following the better-than-expected nonfarm payrolls data stateside on Friday.
Investors are feeling more confident in a shift in policy from central bankers, said Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec.
The Bank of Japan stepped up plans for its bond-buying on Friday as JGB yields crept higher, causing the yen and oil to drop.
Japan's Tankan report showed the Big Manufacturers Index for June came in higher than expected at +17, beating forecasts.
