BOJ keeps upbeat view of economy, maintains asset purchases

TOKYO: The Bank of Japan kept monetary policy steady and maintained its upbeat assessment of the economy on Friday, signalling its conviction that inflation will hit its 2% target without additional monetary stimulus.

As widely expected, the BOJ reiterated its pledge to increase base money, or cash and deposits at the central bank, at an annual pace of 80 trillion yen ($648 billion) through purchases of government bonds and risky assets.