Japan's central bank keeps policy unchanged, says economy 'picking up,' as trade deficit grows
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Japan's central bank says the world's third-biggest economy is "picking up" as demand recovers in other countries and remains resilient at home.
The Bank of Japan ended a policy meeting on Wednesday with no change to its strategy of doubling the monetary base for the sake of reaching a 2 percent inflation target and jolting the economy out of two decades of stagnation. That outcome was expected.
The central bank said in a statement, though, that there is a "high degree of uncertainty concerning Japan's economy" and that prices show no signs yet of rebounding.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Japan's economy grew 3.5 percent in the last quarter, but progress in increasing exports and boosting corporate investment and wages has lagged.