|

USD/JPY: neutral, but moving away from 112.00

USD/JPY Current price: 111.87

  • Japanese data overall disappointing, previous figures downwardly revised.
  • US macroeconomic calendar with nothing relevant to offer today.

The USD/JPY pair seesawed in a well-limited range at the beginning of the day, holding within familiar levels and currently at around 111.85. Equities were unable to follow the positive lead of Wall Street, trading mixed in Asia, while US Treasury yields ticked lower, offering mixed clues to JPY traders. Across the board, the greenback remains the strongest.

Data coming from Japan once again missed the market's expectations, as the February All Activity Index fell by 0.2%, worse than the -0.1% expected. The Leading Index for the same month was confirmed at 97.1 while the Coincident Index surpassed the market's forecast by bouncing to 100.4.  The previous readings for all Japanese figures suffered downward revisions. The US macroeconomic calendar has nothing relevant to offer today but will release Durable Goods Orders Thursday and the advanced estimate of Q1 GDP next Friday.

 From a technical point of view, the USD/JPY pair maintains a neutral stance, as, in the 4 hours chart, it keeps developing below a directionless 20 SMA, while holding above the larger ones, and as technical indicators stand flat just below their midlines. The pair could gain downward traction on a break below 111.60, the immediate support, while the highs in the 112.10/20 region will likely keep capping the upside today.

Support levels: 111.60 111.25 110.90

Resistance levels: 112.15 112.50 112.85

View Live Chart for the USD/JPY

Author

Valeria Bednarik

Valeria Bednarik was born and lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her passion for math and numbers pushed her into studying economics in her younger years.

More from Valeria Bednarik
Share:

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD: US Dollar to remain pressured until uncertainty fog dissipates

Unimpressive European Central Bank left monetary policy unchanged for the fifth consecutive meeting. The United States first-tier employment and inflation data is scheduled for the second week of February. EUR/USD battles to remain afloat above 1.1800, sellers moving to the sidelines.

GBP/USD reclaims 1.3600 and above

GBP/USD reverses two straight days of losses, surpassing the key 1.3600 yardstick on Friday. Cable’s rebound comes as the Greenback slips away from two-week highs in response to some profit-taking mood and speculation of Fed rate cuts. In addition, hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill are also collaborating with the quid’s improvement.

Gold: Volatility persists in commodity space

After losing more than 8% to end the previous week, Gold remained under heavy selling pressure on Monday and dropped toward $4,400. Although XAU/USD staged a decisive rebound afterward, it failed to stabilize above $5,000. The US economic calendar will feature Nonfarm Payrolls and Consumer Price Index data for January, which could influence the market pricing of the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook and impact Gold’s performance.

Week ahead: US NFP and CPI data to shake Fed cut bets, Japan election looms

US NFP and CPI data awaited after Warsh’s nomination as Fed chief. Yen traders lock gaze on Sunday’s snap election. UK and Eurozone Q4 GDP data also on the agenda. China CPI and PPI could reveal more weakness in domestic demand.

Three scenarios for Japanese Yen ahead of snap election

The latest polls point to a dominant win for the ruling bloc at the upcoming Japanese snap election. The larger Sanae Takaichi’s mandate, the more investors fear faster implementation of tax cuts and spending plans. 

XRP rally extends as modest ETF inflows support recovery

Ripple is accelerating its recovery, trading above $1.36 at the time of writing on Friday, as investors adjust their positions following a turbulent week in the broader crypto market. The remittance token is up over 21% from its intraday low of $1.12.