JAPAN'S CORE INFLATION ACCELERATES FOR 4TH MONTH IN AUGUST

Japan's core consumer inflation accelerated for the fourth straight month in August and tracked comfortably above the central bank's 2% target, data showed on Friday, keeping alive expectations for further interest rate hikes. The data comes hours before the Bank of Japan concludes its two-day policy meeting, where it is widely expected to keep interest rates steady at 0.25%.

The core consumer price index, which excludes volatile fresh food costs, rose 2.8% in August from a year earlier, matching a median market forecast. It followed a 2.7% rise in July.

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