Trillions of Yen Pile Up at Negative Rates in Bets on BOJ Shift
- Japan’s big banks acting as if sub-zero rates are almost over
- Cash parked in -0.1% accounts at BOJ jumped to ¥3.2 trillion
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Japan’s biggest commercial banks are letting money accumulate in negative interest-rate accounts at the central bank — another sign that the world’s last sub-zero rate policy is coming close to the end.
When the Bank of Japan started charging -0.1% interest on certain accounts where lenders parked excess funds eight years ago, policymakers got the result they wanted: cash flowed elsewhere, to more productive parts of the financial system, supporting the BOJ’s campaign to revive the economy and spur inflation.