Markets unclear about likely outcome of this week's BOJ meeting

Tokyo

THE policy board of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) is due to meet this week amid expectations that it will unveil fresh monetary-easing initiatives following a sharp cut in the government's economic growth and inflation forecasts. And there is also talk that the BOJ will downgrade its own forecasts.

Tokyo stock prices have been riding a six-week high, and the yen, languishing at a six-week low, on the basis of these expected BOJ initiatives.