Japan's Consumer Inflation Likely to Accelerate in Coming Months -- Market Talk

0204 GMT - Price increases in Japan are expected to gain full momentum in the coming months across a wide range of items, including food and daily necessities, says NLI Research Institute economist Taro Saito. As the effects of utility subsidies fade, growth in consumer prices excluding fresh food is likely to accelerate above 2% in October and reach 3% toward the end of the fiscal year in March 2027, he adds. The core measure climbed 1.7% on year in August, vs. July's 1.8% increase, Friday's data showed. The Bank of Japan is widely expected to raise rates to 1.25% later in the day, with economists and investors projecting at least one more hike to come by the year's end.(megumi.fujikawa@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 17, 2026 22:04 ET (02:04 GMT)