The Japanese national flag waves at the Bank of Japan building in Tokyo, March 18, 2024. - Photo: Reuters file
TOKYO: Japan's core inflation slowed for a second straight month in July but stayed above the central bank's 2% target, keeping alive market expectations for another interest rate hike in the coming months.
The nationwide core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes fresh food items, rose 3.1% in July from a year earlier, government data showed on Friday, faster than a median market forecast for a 3.0% gain.
