Japan's core inflation steady in November, stays above BOJ target

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November core CPI rises 3.0% yr/yr, matches forecast

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Index excluding fresh food, fuel up 3.0% yr/yr in November

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Data reinforces expectations of BOJ rate hike to ?0.75%

By Leika Kihara

TOKYO, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Japan's core consumer prices rose 3.0% in ?November from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, ?staying above the central bank's 2% ?target for ?the 44th straight month.

The outcome reinforces market expectations the Bank of Japan will ?raise interest rates to ?0.75% from 0.5% at a two-day policy meeting concluding on Friday.

The increase in the core ?consumer price index (CPI), which excludes ?volatile ?fresh food prices, matched a median market forecast and was steady from the year-on-year pace of rise ?in October.

An index stripping away volatile fresh food and fuel costs, which is closely watched by the BOJ as a better gauge of underlying price trends, rose 3.0% in November from a year earlier, compared ?with ?a 3.1% increase in October.

The BOJ exited a decade-long, radical stimulus programme last year and ?raised short-term interest rates to 0.5% in January on the view Japan was on the cusp of sustainably hitting its 2% inflation target.

With stubbornly high food prices keeping inflation above its 2% target, a growing number of BOJ board ?members have signaled their readiness to vote for a rate hike to avoid being behind the curve in addressing the risk of ?too-high inflation.

(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Sam Holmes)