BOJ holds rate steady, keeps economic outlook

TOKYO (MarketWatch) -- The Bank of Japan kept its unsecured overnight call loan rate at 0.1% at the end of its two-day meeting Tuesday as widely expected, by a unanimous vote. The BOJ also maintained its economic assessment, saying the nation's economy "is picking up mainly due to various policy measures taken at home and abroad." Growth in emerging economies has helped the nation's exports increase, but there is still "not yet sufficient momentum to support a self-sustaining recovery in domestic private demand." The BOJ has left its benchmark rate steady since December 2008. BOJ Gov. Masaaki Shirakawa is scheduled to hold a regular news conference, with comments expected to emerge after 4:00 pm local time.