0242 GMT - Japan's hotter-than-expected core inflation boosts odds of a Bank of Japan rate hike in July, ING's Min Joo Kang says in a research report. Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 3.5% in April from a year earlier, up from March's 3.2% increase, and exceeded market consensus of a 3.4% increase, the senior economist for South Korea and Japan notes. Excluding fresh food and energy, core-core CPI rose 3.0% on year in April, which suggests underlying inflation will remain above the BOJ's target of 2.0%, the economist says. After a potential 25bp rate hike in July, the BOJ may stand pat for a considerable time owing to high uncertainty surrounding U.S. tariffs, the economist adds. (ronnie.harui@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 22, 2025 22:42 ET (02:42 GMT)

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