Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Thursday the central bank will debate next week whether to raise interest rates, based on its fresh quarterly growth and inflation forecasts. In remarks made at a meeting with regional bank executives,

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Wednesday the bank will debate whether to raise its key rate at its policy meeting next week a

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda strengthened speculation of a looming policy move by flagging the decision on whether to raise interest rates at next week’s meeting in a comment that strengthened the yen.

The Bank of Japan holds its first policy meeting of the year next week and the outcome will be announced days after the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Ueda stated that the timing of interest rate hikes will largely depend on the economic policies of the new U.S. administration and the progress of this year’s wage negotiations in Japan. The yen's USD/JPY pair fell 0.4% on Wednesday, meaning the yen strengthened 0.4% against the U.S. dollar.

T he Bank of Japan’s Deputy Governor, Ryozo Himino, has hinted at a potential interest rate hike during the upcoming policy meeting on January 23-24. In an interview last Friday

The Bank of Japan will debate whether to raise interest rates next week as prospects of sustained wage gains heighten and the U.S. policy outlook becomes clearer in President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural address,