Japan's Nikkei rallies, JGB yields hit 2006 high as BOJ hikes rates

BY Reuters | ECONOMIC | 12/18/25 11:19 PM EST

(Updates prices after BOJ policy decision)

By Kevin Buckland

TOKYO, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average rose more than 1% on Friday and ?the 10-year government bond yields hit a 19-year ?high at 2% after the Bank ?of Japan raised interest rates ?to a ?three-decade high and signalled more policy tightening to come.

The ?10-year yield extended ?an earlier rise, following the central bank's as-expected rate hike to ?0.75%, hitting the 2% ?mark ?for the first time since May 2006.

The level acted as a symbolic ?ceiling during Japan's decades-long struggle with deflation.

Equity investors took cues from an overnight U.S. session, where a rally in chip stocks lifted all ?three ?major Wall Street indexes.

The Nikkei extended its rally slightly after the BOJ's policy ?announcement, rising 1.3% to 49,629.26 as of 0400 GMT.

The broader Topix rose 0.8% to 3,382.59.

Ten-year JGB futures fell as much as 0.5 yen to 132.84 yen, ?the lowest since June 2008. Bond prices move inversely to yields. (Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by ?Sumana Nandy, Rashmi Aich and Subhranshu Sahu)

In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.

Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.

Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.

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