Major central banks linger in uneasy calm in April

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Interest rates at major central banks remained static in April as the prospect of higher-for-longer U.S. Federal Reserve rates exerted some pressure on policymakers, especially in emerging markets, where Indonesia delivered a surprise hike. All four of the central banks overseeing the 10 most heavily traded currencies that held meetings in April - the Bank of Japan, the Bank of Canada, the European Central Bank and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand - kept benchmark lending rates unchanged. The Fed, whose rate setting meeting straddled April and May, also left rates unchanged when its decision was published on Wednesday.