"BOJ Maintains Monetary Easing, Eyes End to Negative Rates"

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is expected to maintain ultralow interest rates at its upcoming policy meeting, as it assesses whether the price and wage hike cycle is on track to achieve its 2 percent inflation target sustainably. Financial markets are looking for clues on when the BOJ will normalize monetary policy by ending negative rates and scrapping its yield curve control program. The BOJ remains an outlier among major central banks, as the US Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates next year, while the European Central Bank and the Bank of England have held off on hikes.