Bank of Japan keeps interest rates unchanged | Business

TOKYO, Sept 19, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - The Bank of Japan said Friday it would keep its main interest rate unchanged at 0.5 percent, as expected, with economists forecasting officials to announce a hike in the coming months. However, the BoJ also said it would sell financial assets it had previously acquired to keep rates lower -- including exchange-traded funds -- marking a new phase of its monetary tightening policy. "Japan's economic growth is likely to moderate, as trade and other policies in each jurisdiction lead to a slowdown in overseas economies and to a decline in domestic corporate profits," the BoJ said in a statement following the decision. The announcement comes hours after government data showed inflation in the fourth-largest...