About half of economists now expect the Bank of Japan's next policy move to be monetary easing, including three who see it coming this week, according to a Bloomberg survey.
The other 45 of 48 economists surveyed said they expect the BOJ to leave its policy settings unchanged at a two-day meeting ending this Thursday.
The number of economists predicting further easing from the BOJ has risen sharply in recent months, from 14 percent in December to 48 percent this month, as economic growth has slowed and inflation sagged. In April 2018, more than 90 percent said the next move would be tightening.