SINGAPORE--The yen was poised on Friday for its strongest weekly performance in over a month as expectations grow that the Bank of Japan will raise rates next week, putting the dollar on the back foot ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Japan's annual wholesale inflation held steady at 3.8% in December on stubbornly high food costs, data showed on Thursday, highlighting persistent price pressures that may prod the central bank to raise interest rates next week.

The Japanese yen strengthened on Wednesday amid growing expectations of a Bank of Japan (BOJ) rate hike, while the pound remained stable as cooling UK inflation offered some relief. Markets, however,