The yen weakened on Friday after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) announced it would maintain its ultra-loose monetary policy, defying market expectations of a potential shift. This decision further widens the policy gap between the BOJ and other major central banks, such as the Federal Reserve, which are actively raising interest rates to combat rising inflation.
The BOJ’s commitment to its yield curve control policy, which aims to keep interest rates low, has put persistent downward pressure on the yen. The central bank believes that maintaining accommodative monetary conditions is necessary to support Japan’s fragile economic recovery and achieve its inflation target of 2% in a sustainable manner.
Market analysts anticipate that the yen will remain weak as long as the BOJ sticks to its current policy stance. The divergence in monetary policy between Japan and other developed economies is expected to continue to drive capital outflows from Japan, further weighing on the currency.
The BOJ’s next policy meeting will be closely watched for any hints of a potential change in its approach. However, for now, the central bank appears determined to stick to its ultra-loose monetary policy, even as other central banks around the world tighten their belts.