Japan’s Inflation Inches Higher Thanks to Energy Costs

Bloomberg.com —

• Bank of Japan remains far from its 2 percent price target
• Questions are mounting about inflation momentum in Japan

Japan’s inflation picked up slightly in June, largely because of higher energy costs. There was little to suggest price gains will accelerate toward the 2 percent target anytime soon.

Highlights

• Core consumer prices, which exclude fresh food, rose 0.8 percent in June from a year earlier (estimate 0.8 percent)
• Stripping out fresh food and energy, prices climbed 0.2 percent (estimate 0.4 percent)
• Overall prices increased 0.7 percent (estimate 0.8 percent) […]