Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Tuesday the central bank was ready to ramp up stimulus if sharp yen rises hurt the economy and derail the path towards achieving its 2 percent inflation target. But he said the BOJ would carefully weigh the benefits and costs of any further policy easing, suggesting that the hurdle for topping up stimulus would be high given how financial institutions’ profits have been hurt by years of near-zero interest rates. “Currency moves could have an impact on the economy and prices, so it’s crucial we take into account these factors when guiding monetary policy,” Kuroda told ... (full story)