The Bank of Japan kept its record stimulus unchanged Thursday as Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda looks to keep stoking inflation and boost economic momentum that's been sapped by a higher sales tax.
The bank kept its pledge to increase the monetary base at an annual pace of ¥60 trillion to ¥70 trillion, in line with all 31 economists surveyed by Bloomberg.
Kuroda's bid to spur faster price gains is facing stiffer headwinds after the April consumption tax hike triggered the steepest contraction since the March 2011 disasters.