MNI BRIEF: BOJ Widens Band of JGB Buying Operations In Q2

The Bank of Japan on Friday said it would widen the band of its Japanese government bond buying operations in the second quarter, flagging the option of buying up to JPY875 billion of 5-10-year bonds per auction, according to a quarterly schedule released by the central bank.

The decision to widen the range shows the BOJ stands ready to buy JGBs in a flexible manner, depending on movements in bond yields amid tightening global financial conditions. The BOJ left the frequency of bond auctions within different maturity groups unchanged.