Asian markets mixed, Tokyo boosted by Bank of Japan nominee

ASIAN markets were mixed today, with traders still occupied by long-running interest rate worries, though Tokyo rallied after the man tipped as Japan’s next central bank head made the case for keeping its ultra-loose policy.

Analysts said the realisation that the Federal Reserve will further hike borrowing costs and hold them there appears to have sunk in among investors, who were betting on a cut by year’s end as 2023 began.