Main points from the Bank of Japan decision and its outlook here earlier: BOJ announce no change to monetary policy
- The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy steady
- As widely expected, the BOJ kept intact a pledge to guide short-term interest rates at minus 0.1 percent and the 10-year bond yield around zero percent by a 8-1 vote.
- Kataoka dissented to the decision to stand pat. While not an official proposal for easing, Kataoka said the BOJ should buy government bonds so 15-year yields "remain at less than 0.2 percent."
- In the quarterly review, the BOJ trimmed its inflation forecasts
- Also cut its price growth forecast for fiscal 2018 to 1.4 percent from 1.5 percent, but left its 1.8 percent forecast for 2019 unchanged
- It also maintained its view that inflation will hit the 2 percent target by March 2020.
