刚刚，大幅杀跌！一则利空传出！

Core Viewpoint - The Japanese stock market experienced a significant decline, with the Nikkei 225 index dropping by 1.45% amid pressure from the U.S. Treasury Secretary on the Bank of Japan to address inflation through interest rate hikes [1][4][6]. Market Reaction - On August 14, the Nikkei 225 index fell over 600 points, closing at 42,649 points, with major industrial and electronic stocks like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Advantest seeing declines of over 5% [4]. - The U.S. Treasury Secretary's comments led to a notable increase in the yen against the dollar, rising by approximately 0.7%, marking the largest gain since August 2 [6]. Central Bank Dynamics - Analysts suggest that the Bank of Japan may be compelled to raise interest rates due to U.S. pressure, despite previous hesitations regarding the timing of such actions [2][8]. - The Bank of Japan's current policy rate remains one of the lowest among major economies, while the core consumer price index has been above the 2% target for over three years [5]. Future Expectations - Market expectations indicate a potential interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan in October, with about 42% of economists surveyed anticipating this move [8]. - UBS analysts have raised their forecasts for the Nikkei 225 index to 41,000 points by the end of 2025, citing improved economic conditions and corporate governance as positive factors for the Japanese market [9][10].