Japan’s 10-year government bond yield climbed to around 2.84% on Wednesday, a one-week high, as rising oil prices heightened inflation concerns and reinforced expectations for a more aggressive tightening cycle by the Bank of Japan. Crude prices advanced amid renewed uncertainty in the Middle East, though Pakistan’s defense minister noted that Washington and Tehran are “close to some sort of arrangement.”
At the same time, investors are weighing the odds of a BOJ rate hike in September, following an uptick in policymakers calling for a stronger response to persistent inflationary pressures. The central bank is also contending with ongoing yen weakness, which has magnified the impact of higher oil prices and kept import costs elevated.
