The recent Bank of Japan policy changes have caused the Japanese yen to show limited movement, with USD/JPY trading at 151.25 in the North American session, down 0.13%. Despite the rate hike by the BoJ, the yen did not respond with gains as expected, leading to a drop in value.
The BoJ raised interest rates for the first time since 2007, but the actual tightening was limited, with rates moving from -0.10% to 0.10%. This small change had little impact on the wide USD/JPY rate differential, causing the yen to remain weak. BoJ Governor Ueda also mentioned that despite the rate hike, monetary policy would remain accommodative, indicating that inflation has not yet reached the 2% target.
Many investors had anticipated the rate hike and adopted a “buy the rumour, sell the fact” approach, leading to heavy selling of the yen after the announcement. This resulted in a 1.60% drop in the yen’s value, reaching its lowest level since November 2023. With the yen at such low levels, there is a possibility of intervention by the Ministry of Finance to prevent further depreciation.
In contrast to the BoJ’s actions, the US markets have priced in three rate cuts this year. However, Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic’s comments on Friday were more hawkish, suggesting only one quarter-point cut. Bostic expressed concerns about inflation levels remaining high and the US economy’s resilience, signaling a potential shift in Fed policy.
USD/JPY currently faces resistance at 151.44, with further resistance at 151.88. On the downside, support levels are seen at 151.02 and 150.58. The technical analysis indicates that USD/JPY is struggling to break through the resistance levels, which may lead to further consolidation of the currency pair.
The recent policy changes by the Bank of Japan and the contrasting views on monetary policy between the BoJ and the Fed have created uncertainty in the USD/JPY movement. The limited impact of the rate hike and investor sentiment towards the yen have contributed to the currency’s weak performance. Moving forward, it will be important to monitor any intervention efforts by the Japanese government and keep an eye on further developments in US monetary policy to gauge the future direction of USD/JPY.
Leave a Reply