"Bank of Japan Maintains Ultra-Loose Policy and Signals Confidence in Price Goal"

The Bank of Japan has maintained its ultra-loose monetary policy, keeping interest rates at -0.1% and trimming its core inflation forecast for the next fiscal year. The decision was widely expected, and the central bank's move to retain negative rates makes it the only one in the world with such a policy. The BOJ's outlook for the Japanese economy includes a lowered growth forecast for core consumer prices in fiscal 2024, but a marginal increase for fiscal 2025. Governor Kazuo Ueda is set to explain the decision in a press conference, with market consensus pointing to a potential change in the negative rates regime at the BOJ's April meeting.