Bank of Japan chief signals need for more data in deciding October move

Group 1 - Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda indicated that the central bank will analyze various data, including information from Washington, to decide on potential interest rate hikes in October [1][4] - Ueda noted the resilience of global and U.S. economies, while acknowledging that the impact of U.S. tariffs may soon become apparent [2] - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) raised its 2025 global growth forecast, attributing the more benign tariff shocks to a potential slowdown in output due to renewed U.S.-China trade tensions [3] Group 2 - The BOJ ended a decade-long stimulus program last year and raised rates to 0.5% in January, believing Japan was close to achieving its inflation target [5] - With inflation exceeding the 2% target for over three years, the BOJ is prepared to continue raising rates if economic conditions improve [5] - Market expectations for a rate hike in October increased after two BOJ board members proposed a rate increase in September, although these expectations diminished following the election of Sanae Takaichi as Japan's first female prime minister [6] Group 3 - Analysts generally expect the BOJ to raise rates to 0.75% by January next year, although there is some disagreement regarding the exact timing [7]