Shocker, Yen weakens after BoJ hike [Video]

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) scrapped its negative rate policy, raised the rates from -0.10% to 0%, ditched its YCC policy and ended the purchases of ETF and Japanese real estate investment trusts. However, the bank said that it will continue to purchase sovereign bonds with ‘broadly the same amount’ and that the policy will remain accommodative for now. The latter caught traders attention more than the rest. The yields fell and the yen weakened.

Elsewhere, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained rates unchanged at today’s policy meeting, as expected, and the AUDUSD fell sharply below the 200-DMA. The dollar index, on the other hand, extended gains above the 50-DMA and jumped above the downtrending channel top of February and March. The hawkish Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations sent the US 2-year yield to 4.75% in the run up to this week’s Fed meeting.

While the yields and the dollar were rising, the S&P500 was also rising, led by technology stocks.

Elsewhere, US crude rallied past the $82pb on Monday on news that Ukraine continued its attacks on Russian refineries.