前日本央行官员：不能排除10月加息的可能性

Core Viewpoint - The Bank of Japan is likely to raise its economic and inflation forecasts in the upcoming quarterly assessment, potentially paving the way for an interest rate hike in October, with a market expectation of about 50% probability for such a move [2][3]. Economic Forecasts - The Bank of Japan is expected to review its current economic growth forecast of 0.6% for the fiscal year and 0.7% for fiscal year 2026 during the meeting on October 29-30 [3]. - Recent data shows that Japan's annualized economic growth rate for the second quarter reached 2.2%, exceeding initial estimates, primarily due to robust consumption [3]. Inflation Projections - The Bank of Japan anticipates a core consumer inflation rate of 2.7% in 2025, followed by a slowdown to 1.8% in 2026 [3]. - The potential inflation rate in Japan is currently estimated at around 1.7%, with a possibility of reaching the Bank's 2% target if the five-year inflation expectations from the short-term business survey rise from 2.3% to 2.5% [4]. Interest Rate Decisions - The Bank of Japan maintained its interest rate at 0.5%, but two committee members proposed raising it to 0.75%, which led to an increase in Japanese government bond yields [3]. - There is a divergence among economists regarding the timing of the next interest rate hike, with expectations ranging from October to January of the following year [4].