"Japan Ends 17-Year Era of Negative Interest Rates with First Hike"

Japan's Bank of Japan (BOJ) has ended its negative interest rate policy by raising interest rates for the first time in 17 years, marking a shift away from aggressive monetary easing. The move comes as Japan's economy has shown signs of recovery and a more solid virtuous cycle between wages and prices. The BOJ also announced the abandonment of its yield curve control policy and the end of purchases of exchange-traded funds and Japanese real estate investment trusts. While the Japanese economy is expected to continue growing, the BOJ pledged to keep financial conditions accommodative and pay attention to uncertainties surrounding economic activity and prices. The Japanese yen weakened after the BOJ's move, and analysts believe that the bank may not raise its policy rate further in the future.