TOKYO, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Japanese government bond (JGB)
yields rebounded on Friday, buoyed by a rise in their U.S. peers
and inflation data from Japan's capital that continues to come
in above the Bank of Japan's 2% target.
The benchmark 10-year JGB yield climbed 2
basis points (bps) to 0.905% as of 0329 GMT, while the 10-year
JGB futures fell 0.15 yen to 144.58 yen.
U.S. Treasury yields rose on Thursday, after data indicated
the world's largest economy was on solid enough footing to give
the Federal Reserve room to be less aggressive in cutting
interest rates this year.
Meanwhile, core inflation in Japan's capital accelerated for
a fourth straight month in August, data showed on Friday,
tracking comfortably above the central bank's 2% target.
The latest figures keep alive expectations of more interest
rate hikes ahead.
Views on whether further hikes will come within the year
differ, however, with short-term financial markets expecting it
unlikely while economists probably still see a strong chance,
said Yoshiro Sato, an economist at Resona Holdings.
While BOJ officials have emphasised there won't be any rate
increases while markets remain fragile, Governor Kazuo Ueda said
the central bank would raise rates further if inflation remains
on track to durably hit its 2% target in the coming years.
"With the inflation rate notably around 2% and wages rising
to a degree that's probably higher than what the BOJ expected, a
rate hike within the year wouldn't be strange," said Sato.
Elsewhere on the curve, the 20-year JGB yield
rose 1.5 bps to 1.72%, while the 30-year JGB yield
ticked up 0.5 bp to 2.08%.
The two-year JGB yield was also up 0.5 bp at
0.37%.
The five-year yield rose 1 bp to 0.505%.