BOJ downplays weak yen impact, but keeps door open for rate hikes

Bank of Japan chief Kazuo Ueda on Friday played down the immediate impact of the yen's recent sharp decline on prices, calling it negligible, but said the central bank will raise interest rates again if inflation accelerates further.The BOJ's new forecasts released after a two-day policy meeting show Japan's inflation will likely be around its target of 2 percent until the end of fiscal 2026, accompanied by a positive cycle of wage and price hikes.The BOJ maintained its policy rate and bond-buying, which along with Ueda's comments weakened the yen further beyond the 156 line against the U.S…READ FULL ARTICLE