JGBs slide ahead of BoJ’s monetary policy decision, March consumer inflation

The Japanese government bonds slid Monday as investors remain keen to watch the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) monetary policy meeting, scheduled to be held on April 27. Also, markets will be focusing on the country’s March consumer price inflation (CPI), scheduled to be released on April 28 for detailed direction in the debt market.

The benchmark 10-year bond yield, which moves inversely to its price, rose nearly 1 basis point to 0.02 percent, the long-term 30-year bond yields jumped 2 basis points to 0.77 percent and the yield on the short-term 2-year note climbed 1 basis point to -0.20 percent by 06:20 GMT.

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda, in his latest speech delivered, said that there is need to continue with policy easing till the central bank’s 2 percent inflation goal is reached, which indeed, seems a long way to go. Further, Kuroda said that the BoJ needs to closely monitor consumer prices because they are lacking some upward momentum.

Speaking a week before the BoJ’s next policy meeting, when the board will also update its estimates for growth and consumer prices, the governor said that the exchange rate could affect inflation in the short term and that if the yen appreciates, there is a chance of a delay in hitting the CB’s 2 percent price goal. He added that depreciation would have the opposite effect.

However, central bank policymakers still have little to cheer about with consumer inflation barely above zero percent, as soft household spending discourages companies from raising prices. According to Reuters’ latest poll, Japan’s core nationwide consumer inflation during the month of April is seen to rise 0.3 percent y/y, (highest forecast at 0.4 percent y/y, while lowest is at 0.1 percent y/y), from 0.2 percent y/y in the previous month.

Meanwhile, Japan’s Nikkei 225 closed 1.37 percent higher at 18,875.88, while at 06:00GMT, the FxWirePro's Hourly Yen Strength Index remained highly bearish at -104.51 (a reading above +75 indicates a bullish trend, while that below -75 a bearish trend). For more details, visit http://www.fxwirepro.com/currencyindex