Ipek Ozkardeskaya
Swissquote Bank Ltd
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.
This report has been prepared by Swissquote Bank Ltd and is solely been published for informational purposes and is not to be construed as a solicitation or an offer to buy or sell any currency or any other financial instrument. Views expressed in this report may be subject to change without prior notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by Swissquote Bank Ltd personnel at any given time. Swissquote Bank Ltd is under no obligation to update or keep current the information herein, the report should not be regarded by recipients as a substitute for the exercise of their own judgment.
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