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Japan core inflation eases but price pressure remains
Japan's core consumer inflation slowed in July but stayed above the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) price target for the 16th straight month, with cost-push inflation likely to keep the central bank from rushing to phase out monetary easing anytime soon. The 3.1 per cent rise in the core consumer price index (CPI), which includes oil products but excludes volatile fresh food prices, matched a median market forecast, following a 3.3 per cent increase in the previous month. The so-called core-core inflation index, which excludes fresh food and energy prices and is closely watched by the BOJ as a better gauge of trend inflation, ... (full story)