Recent weakness in consumption has emerged as a fresh source of concern for Bank of Japan policymakers who are eyeing an exit from negative interest rates, three sources familiar with its thinking said, suggesting market expectations of an imminent rate hike may be over-blown. The yen and Japanese bond yields have jumped on market expectations of an imminent policy change after BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Thursday the central bank will face an "even more challenging" situation in the year-end and next year. But Ueda's remark, which came in response to a lawmaker's question on the challenges he has faced since ... (full story)