The dollar strengthened against the yen on Friday, hitting its highest level in two weeks, after the Bank of Japan left interest rates unchanged and indicated that it was not in a hurry to hike them again.

Traders betting on further recovery in Japanese equities are looking to any steer from the Bank of Japan that may cap the yen’s gains and support exporters.

NEW YORK/LONDON >> The dollar strengthened against the yen today after the Bank of Japan left interest rates unchanged and indicated that it was not in a hurry to hike them again.

By Stella Qiu SYDNEY (Reuters) -Asian shares extended their rally on Friday, bathing in the afterglow of an outsized interest U.S. rate cut, while the yen edged higher as the Bank of Japan held rates steady and stayed upbeat on the economy.

Asian stocks have surged, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 index leading gains after Wall Street romped to records following the Federal Reserve’s big cut to interest rates

Asian shares extended their rally on Friday, bathing in the afterglow of an outsized interest rate cut in the United States, while the yen was jittery ahead of a monetary policy decision in Japan as traders look for clues about future tightening.