The Bank of Japan held off on expanding stimulus on Wednesday, even as slumping exports and falling oil prices threaten its rosy projection that the economy is on track to hit its ambitious 2 per cent inflation target next year. But lingering fears of recession will keep the central bank under pressure to ease at a more crucial meeting on Oct 30, when it is expected to cut its long-term economic and price forecasts, analysts say. For now, the BOJ maintained its optimistic view that while exports and output have been hurt by slowing emerging market growth, Japan's economy continues to recover moderately. As widely ... (full story)