S&P: JAPAN RATINGS AFFIRMED AT 'A+/A-1'; OUTLOOK STABLE

According to the Financial Times, US President Trump stated that the number of Pakistani-flagged oil tankers allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz has now doubled to 20. The Iranian parliament speaker has approved the dispatch of additional tankers.

US Dollar: 1. UBS: Expects the US 10-year Treasury yield to rise above 4.5%. 2. Fed's Paulson: The view that the job market is still "under pressure but not collapsed" remains valid. 3. Fed's Barkin: Keeping interest rates unchanged in March "seemed prudent." Even before the oil shock, inflationary progress faced the risk of stalling. Euro: 1. ECB Governing Council member Villeroy: It is still too early to bet on the timing of a rate hike. 2. ECB Governing Council member Mueller: The ECB does not need a fully apparent second-round effect to take action. 3. European Commission: A prolonged conflict would reduce economic growth by 0.4 to 0.6 percentage points and increase inflation by 1.1%-1.5%. 4. ECB Governing Council member Winsch: We will not act hastily. If the conflict ends mainly before April, it will be closer to the baseline scenario. If it remains close to the baseline scenario, no action is needed in April. A rate hike in April is not impossible. If the conflict persists into June, the European Central Bank is highly likely to take action. Japanese Yen: 1. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda: If short-term interest rates are raised at an appropriate pace, long-term interest rates will remain stable. 2. Finance Minister Jun Mimura: Speculative volatility has emerged in the market, and decisive action may be necessary; any countermeasures cannot be ruled out. 3. Summary of opinions from the Bank of Japan meeting: One member stated that the timing of future interest rate hikes will depend on the impact of developments in the Middle East, as well as the trends in wages, inflation, and the financial environment. 4. Former Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda: Raising the policy rate 3 to 4 times to approximately 1.5% by the end of next year is not a problem. Japan is on a very appropriate and stable growth trajectory and does not need further monetary easing. The war with Iran may only accelerate interest rate hikes, not pause them. Others: 1. Swiss President: US-Switzerland trade negotiations will continue beyond March. 2. The People's Bank of China's reverse repurchase operations resulted in a net injection of 261.5 billion yuan on the day. 3. Bank of Thailand: Renewed its bilateral currency swap agreement with the Bank of Japan for another three years. 4. CEO of the National Pension Service of Korea: Actions may be needed to stabilize the Korean won.