In a landmark move on Friday, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised its short term interest rate by 25 basis points to 0.75%. This unanimous decision raises borrowing costs to their highest level since 1995, sending a powerful signal that the nation is decisively exiting its era of ultra-loose monetary policy.
The European Central Bank kept its policy rate unchanged at 2.00% at the December meeting, opting to maintain current settings as the macro picture shows signs of resilience.
The dollar index hovered near 98.4 on Friday, set to close the week largely unchanged.