[Bank of Japan Hints at Rate Hike, but Market Still Bets on Yen Weakening] Despite market speculation that the Bank of Japan may raise interest rates this month and Governor Kazuo Ueda hinting that rates could be adjusted soon, traders at institutions such as Bank of America and Nomura Holdings are still betting on the yen continuing to weaken. Data from Citigroup shows that negative sentiment toward the yen persists in the market. The reason investors remain bearish on the yen is that even if the Bank of Japan takes action, Japanese yields are still expected to remain significantly lower than those in the U.S. Bank of America executives stated that unless the Bank of Japan delivers a true surprise, the trend of betting on a stronger USD/JPY will not change.