[Economist: Japan May Raise Inflation Forecasts, But It Doesn't Mean Accelerating Rate Hikes] According to a report by Golden Finance, on April 27, SMBC Nikko Securities economists stated that the Bank of Japan might raise its inflation forecasts in the quarterly report to be released on Tuesday, but this move does not necessarily mean accelerating the pace of rate hikes. Analysts said: 'Since this round of inflation is primarily driven by cost-push factors, the Bank of Japan is unlikely to view it as a change in underlying inflation.' They added: 'This is unlikely to prompt the central bank to accelerate its current pace of rate hikes, which is estimated to occur roughly once every six months.' In the January report, the Bank of Japan projected that consumer inflation, excluding fresh food, would rise by 1.9% for the fiscal year ending March 2027. (Jin10)