BOJ surprises markets by not expanding stimulus
Apr. 28, 2016 3:27 AM ETEWJ, JEQ, JOF, DFJ, DXJ, FXY, JSC, JPP, JYNFF, EWV, SCJ, YCL, YCS, EZJ, DBJP, JGBL, JGBT, FJP, JGBS-OLD, JGBD, JPNL, DXJS, JGBB, HEWJ, DXJF, DXJR, DXJC, DXJH, DXJT, JPMV, QJPN, JHDG, JDG, HEGJ, HGJP, JPN, HFXJ, JPNH, HJPX, JPXN, FXJPBy: Yigal Grayeff, SA News Editor9 Comments
- The Nikkei has slumped and the yen has jumped after the Bank of Japan surprisingly held off from increasing its monetary stimulus as it looks to take more time to understand the effect of its negative interest rates.
- The Nikkei is -3.6%, while the dollar is -3.2% at 108.27 yen.
- Specifically, the BOJ let three key easing tools unchanged: its ¥80T ($732) target for expanding the monetary base, mostly through buying government bonds; the 0.1% negative interest rate; and a program to purchasing riskier assets such as stocks.
- The BOJ also put back to 2017 its timeframe for achieving its target of 2% inflation, the fourth delay in about a year.
- The BOJ's lack of action comes despite the strengthening of the yen over the recent period - aside from today - and inflation not picking up.
- Data today showed that March CPI fell 0.1% on year vs +0.3% in February. Core CPI, excluding fresh food, dropped 0.3% after being flat.
- BOJ Web site
- Inflation Report
- ETFs: DXJ, EWJ, FXY, YCS, JGBS, JGBD, DBJP, DFJ, JYN, JOF, JPNL, DXJS, EZJ, JEQ, EWV, HEWJ, YCL, SCJ, JPXN, JSC, JPP, JGBL, JGBT, DXJH, JGBB, QJPN, JHDG, DXJF, JPMV, FJP, DXJR, DXJT, JPN, DXJC, HGJP, JDG, HFXJ, HEGJ, HJPX, FXJP, JPNH