1.   Falling rates also trim borrowing costs for companies and consumers and, thereby, give corporate profits a boost.

2.   Higher rates trim corporate earnings and make stock investment less attractive than bonds.

3.   Higher rates trim corporate earnings and make stock investments less attractive than bonds.

4.   That allayed concern that higher rates would trim corporate profits and discourage home buying.

5.   Higher rates would trim economic growth but they would also act to raise the value of the yen against other currencies by increasing the yield on investments in yen.