The Bank of Japan is on course for a historic turning point that would see its bond holdings shrink next year for the first time in a decade, according to a Bloomberg News analysis. It is a remarkable prospect for a central bank that has refused to drop guidance for boosting government debt holdings by 80 trillion yen ($740 billion) annually, even as it steadily tapers purchases since pivoting to yield-curve control in 2016. The long-term implications for the world’s second-largest sovereign bond market will be far reaching if -- as the analysis suggests -- the BOJ’s debt holdings start to shrink from next August. ... (full story)