Against the backdrop of uneven global economic recovery, Japan's exports in August increased by 5.6% year-on-year. Although this marks the ninth consecutive month of growth, it is lower than the 10.2% growth in the previous month and the market's general expectation of 10.6%. This data reflects a slowdown in Japan's foreign trade recovery, highlighting the pressure on Japan's economy due to uncertainties in global demand.
Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan will hold a monetary policy meeting this week, and the market widely anticipates that it will keep interest rates unchanged. Currently, Japan's short-term interest rate target range remains between 0% and 1%, and most economists believe that the central bank will maintain this policy at this meeting to observe changes in inflation and wage levels.
Economists point out that although the Bank of Japan may not raise rates immediately after this meeting, if inflation and wage growth remain strong in the coming months, the central bank could raise rates by 25 basis points in October. Under this backdrop, the Japanese stock market is expected to maintain a long-term bullish trend despite uncertainties in global economic fluctuations.
Additionally, the Asia-Pacific market performed well overall this week. The Nikkei 225 Index rose by 0.73%, and South Korea's KOSPI Index edged up by 0.13%, reflecting investors' relatively optimistic sentiment toward the regional economy.
