Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index gained 0.3% to 40,074.87 after the central bank raised its benchmark rate to about 0.5% from 0.25%, as widely expected. It is the highest level for the rate since 2008, as the Bank of Japan shifts out of a long spell of extreme low interest rates meant to spur more borrowing and spending.

HONG KONG: Asian markets rose Friday (Jan 24) after a record day on Wall Street in response to Donald Trump's tax-cut pledge, while the yen weakened slightly ahead of an expected interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan later in the day. In a much ...

Stocks surrendered early gains and closed lower after the White House said President Donald Trump would impose promised tariffs on some key U.S. trading partners.

A raft of U.S. economic data will provide plenty for investors to watch out for in the coming week, including ISM data on manufacturing and services as well as closely-watched nonfarm payrolls figures for January.

Consumer inflation in the Tokyo metropolitan area picked up slightly in January, government data showed Friday, supporting the Bank of Japan’s plan to pursue more interest-rate increases.

TOKYO (Reuters) - The fading shadow of reflationists in the Bank of Japan, and the latest addition to the board of an academic favouring an end to ultra-low interest rates, will likely bring the central bank's thinking closer to global peers taking a more conventional approach on monetary policy.

Japan and Hong Kong stocks were set to open mixed Tuesday, with several Asia-Pacific markets closed for the Lunar New Year holiday. Japan's Nikkei 225 futures pointed to a lower open for the market. The futures contract in Chicago was at 39,150 and its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 39,050 compared to the index's previous close of 39,565.8.

World shares were mostly lower on Monday after U.S. stocks edged back from their all-time high, with many Asian markets closed for holidays. In early European trading,

Wall Street is pointing slightly lower in early trading but is on track to close the week with solid gains on healthy quarterly earnings reports from large U.S. corporations.

The Bank of Japan delivered a widely expected 25 basis point hike to its key lending rate on Friday, bringing the overnight call rate to the highest since 2008 and putting pressure on the dollar. The ICE Dollar Index slipped 0.

Bank of Japan goes through with planned rate increase, saying president is acting within expectations.

The Bank of Japan has raised interest rates by 25 basis points, marking a 17-year high of 0.50%. This move signifies the end of an era of historically low interest rates for the Asian exporter. We assess how BOJ’s move can impact the U.