Japan's core inflation hits 40-year high

Japan’s core consumer inflation hit a 40-year high in November. Core inflation, which excludes fresh food prices, rose 3.7 percent in November from the same period last year. In October, core inflation was 3.6 percent. Economists had expected core inflation to be 3.7 percent in November. Headline inflation in Japan also rose to a 31-year high of 3.8 percent in November from 3.7 percent in October. Prices rose 0.2 percent from the previous month. Food prices rose 6.9 percent in November from the same period last year. Japan’s core inflation, excluding fresh food and energy, rose 0.3 percent from the previous month to 2.8 percent annually in November.