TOKYO, June 21 (Reuters) - Japanese government bond
(JGB) yields moved higher on Friday, as a weaker yen put
concerns about the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) monetary policy outlook
front and centre.
The 10-year JGB yield rose to more than a
one-week high of 0.98% and was last up 2.5 basis points (bps) at
0.975%.
Market focus was on the yen, which fell to the 159 range
against the dollar in the Asian morning for the first time since
April 29, back toward a 34-year low of 160.245.
Investors have pulled back bets for another interest rate
hike next month after Japan's central bank postponed laying out
a detailed plan for tapering its bond purchases until July, with
many suspecting the BOJ won't do both at the same time.
But Governor Kazuo Ueda said at the conclusion of last
week's monetary policy meeting that he would not rule out
raising rates in July as weakness in the depreciating currency
pushes up import costs.
The two-year JGB yield, which tends to
correspond more closely with monetary policy expectations,
ticked up 1.5 bps to 0.3% after declining as low as 0.28% this
week.
"The yen weakens on speculation that the BOJ can't move
aggressively. But market players suspect the BOJ will have no
choice but to act if the yen depreciates, so they price in
another rate hike in July. We're in that kind of cycle," said
Chotaro Morita, chief strategist at All Nippon Asset Management.
The five-year yield rose 2 bps to 0.535%.
The 20-year JGB yield climbed 3.5 bps to
1.815%.
The 30-year JGB yield was up 2 bps at 2.14%.
Data on Friday showed Japan's core inflation accelerated in
May due to energy levies but an index that strips away the
effect of fuel slowed for the ninth straight month.
(Reporting by Brigid Riley; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)