Bank of Japan (BOJ) officials see buying exchange-traded funds as a future option via ForexLive

This was on Bloomberg overnight … so it isn't new. Still eyebrow-raising, though ….

Bloomberg reports that “according to people familiar with the central bank's discussions”

• Bank of Japan officials see buying exchange-traded funds based on the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 as a future option to boost the impact of easing
• To encourage companies to deploy cash for investment
• Including funds that track the index would broaden the range of shares in the BOJ's ETF purchases, which now target the Nikkei 225 Stock Average and the Topix index

The people declined to be named because the talks were private

“Buying the JPX-Nikkei 400 would send a clear message that the BOJ wants to encourage business investment,” said Masaki Kuwahara, an economist at Nomura Securities Co. in Tokyo. “This would also show that the BOJ is hand in hand with the government as Abe is trying hard to push companies to use their cash to strengthen the economy.”

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More details: BOJ Said to View JPX-Nikkei 400 as Future Option for Buys

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Whoever coined the “BTFD” probably didn't have Japan in mind. The Japanese government would like to shorten it to “B”.

posted via ForexLive