[Barclays: Strong Q1 GDP May Support BOJ Rate Hike in June] According to a report by Golden Finance on May 19, two economists from Barclays' Fixed Income, Currencies, and Commodities Research Division stated in a research report that Japan's better-than-expected Q1 GDP could support a rate hike by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) in June. Preliminary data released earlier showed that Japan's real GDP grew at an annualized rate of 2.1% in the first quarter, exceeding both Barclays' forecast and the average market expectation. Barclays has revised its FY2026 GDP growth forecast for Japan from the previous 0.7% to 0.9%. These economists maintain their baseline assumption that the BOJ will raise rates in June and continue to anticipate additional rate hikes in October 2026 and April 2027, aiming for a terminal rate of 1.5%.