TOKYO -- The Bank of Japan is slowing the supply of money, arousing speculation that it is paving the way for a trimming of its ultra-easy monetary policy.
The supply of funds to the market in November showed an increase of 51.7 trillion yen ($458 billion), effectively the smallest annual pace of growth since the BOJ introduced easing of a "a different dimension" in April 2013. The central bank is steadily shifting the focus of its easing policy to controlling interest rates, away from "quantitative" measures, as prices have doggedly refused to rise.
