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(RTTNews) - The services sector in New Zealand moved to expansion territory in September, the latest survey from BusinessNZ revealed on Monday wit...

SINGAPORE--The Japanese yen slipped on Friday after the Bank of Japan (BOJ)stuck to ultra-easy monetary policy and made no changes to its outlook, while stocks and bonds were kept under pressure as investors hunkered down for U.S. interest rates to stay high.

No policy change is expected in Japan but with inflation above-target for 17 months in a row, traders are speculating that Governor Kazuo Ueda might provide some forward guidance on future hikes, or address the sliding yen's role in price rises.

The S&P 500 dropped 1.6% overnight and is down 2.7% in a week when policymakers were at pains to sound hawkish, even if a peak in rates is near. Federal Reserve officials lifted their 2024 rates projections, forcing investors to dial back bets on cuts next year and driving two-year yields above 5.2%.

Stocks eyed their worst week in a month on Friday and Treasuries hit decade lows as investors hunkered down for U.S. interest rates to stay high for some time, while the yen was pinned near an 11-month trough after the Bank of Japan left short-term rates below zero. Benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury yields hit a 16-year high of 4.508% in Tokyo. The Bank of Japan (BOJ), as expected, maintained super-low interest rates and left its outlook and yield control policy unchanged to signal it was in no hurry to end massive stimulus.