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Japan’s Inflation Holds Above BOJ Target Amid Rate Hike Bets
Japan’s key inflation gauge held above the central bank’s target even as price gains moderated a tad, in data largely supporting the central bank’s view that underlying inflation remains solid. Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 2.3% in October from a year earlier, down from 2.4% in September, the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported Friday. That was above the consensus estimate of 2.2%. An index excluding energy costs and fresh food prices gained 2.3%, up from 2.1%. Friday’s data are likely to keep the central bank on track to further normalize its policy settings with a rate hike in coming months, ... (full story)