BOJ Watchers Set Sights on April Rate Hike After Hold Next Week

After holding policy settings steady next week, the Bank of Japan will likely raise its benchmark interest rate in April, according to more than a third of surveyed economists.

All 51 economists expect Governor Kazuo Ueda’s board to keep borrowing costs unchanged at 0.75% at the end of a two-day meeting next Thursday, according to a Bloomberg survey conducted March 5-10. The share expecting a move in April jumped to 37% from 17% in the previous survey two months ago, with roughly two-thirds seeing that month as the earliest possible timing for action.