(MENAFN- Saudi Press Agency) Hong Kong 06 Jumada II1437 AH 15 March2016 SPA -- Asian stocks fell on Tuesday after the Bank of Japan painted a gloomier view of the world's third-largest economy but the yen firmed as policymakers appeared to back away from any imminent move to cut interest rates further into negative territory Reuters reported.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan extended early losses and were down 1 percent by mid-afternoon near the day's lows. Japanese stocks ended down 0.7 percent.
European markets looked set to follow Asia lower with financial spreadbetters predicting Britain's FTSE 100 to slip as much as 0.4 percent Germany's DAX to fall as much as 0.3 percent and France's CAC 40 to ease 0.2 percent.
As expected the BOJ's policy board agreed to continue its massive asset buying programme at existing levels while sounding somewhat more pessimistic about the outlook for exports industrial output and inflation.
-- SPA
10:55 LOCAL TIME 07:55 GMT
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