Central Banks
BOJ Is Said to See Weak Consumer Spending Complicating Rate Call
- Some officials want more time to see data, people familiar say
- Other officials see risk of missing rate hike chance, they add
This article is for subscribers only.
Bank of Japan officials see weakness in consumer spending complicating their decision over whether to raise interest rates at a policy meeting next week, according to people familiar with the matter.
Some officials take the view that skipping a rate hike in July is an option to provide more time to examine incoming data to confirm if consumer spending will pick up as expected, the people said. Some of them hold the position that the BOJ should avoid giving the impression of being overly hawkish, they said.