Stock futures rise ahead of key inflation data: Live updates

Japan’s central bank has now entered “a phase of tapering monetary easing,” according to the country’s central bank. Yomiuri Newspaper.

In an interview with the newspaper, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said the bank will seek a “quiet exit” from its ultra-dovish monetary policy.

Ueda also said the end of the year could be a possible time to evaluate the trend of wage increases, a key factor in setting price increases. Average summer bonuses at major companies recovered to more than 900,000 yen (about $6,140) for the first time in three years, Yomiuri said.

If individuals and businesses in Japan anticipated a sustained rise in prices, growth expectations would also stimulate consumption and investment, which could lead to higher interest rates, the newspaper wrote.

-Lim Hui Jie

Stock futures were little changed as they began trading Sunday night.

Futures linked to the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 16 points, or 0.05%. S&P 500 futures rose 0.04% and Nasdaq 100 futures rose 0.07%.

On Friday, stocks ended a down week on a high note. The Dow Jones gained 75.86 points, or 0.22%, to close at 34,576.59. The S&P rose 0.14% to 4,457.49. The Nasdaq Composite gained 0.09% and closed at 13,761.53. However, all three indices recorded a week of losses.

—Tanaya Machel