Four sources tell Reuters a growing number of policymakers are warming to the idea of normalising rates this month on expectations of hefty pay hikes in this year’s annual wage negotiations.
Futures now imply a 53% chance the BOJ will shift rates to zero at its meeting on March 18/19, though some still think it might wait to its April 26 meeting.
Talk is it will also refine yield curve control to target the volume of bonds it buys rather than the yield, which will presumably allow it to gradually guide yields higher and avoid a convulsive move.
Two-year JGB yields have already crept up to 13-year highs of 0.2%, while 10-year yields added 3 bps to 0.765% – a big move for this market.
There have long been fears that rising JGB yields would make Japanese investors keep more of their mountain of money at home, a potential negative for offshore markets given Japan is the world’s largest creditor nation.
It could also make the yen carry trade – borrowing yen for free to invest in higher yielding currencies – less attractive and stoke a long-awaited rally in the Japanese currency.
Yet, the BOJ has made it clear that official rates will only be going to zero and there will not be a series of hikes, so the death of the carry trade is likely overstated.
High yields will be a headache for the government, which faces a steep rise in borrowing costs, while the BOJ faces huge paper losses on the JGBs it holds.
