USD/JPY stabilizes after massive slide

Kenny Fisher MarketPulse

The Japanese yen has edged lower on Friday, after posting huge gains a day earlier. USD/JPY is trading at 159.16 in the European session, up 0.26% on the day at the time of writing.

Japanese Yen soars – Soft US inflation or intervention?

The US dollar was down against most of the major currencies on Thursday, after a softer–than-expected US CPI report raised expectations for a rate cut in September. The yen was the big winner on the day, surging as much as 2.7% and climbing to 157.41 against the dollar. The US dollar recovered some of these losses and USD/JPY closed at 158.76, down 1.8% on the day.

US inflation fell to 3.0% y/y/ in June, its lowest level in a year. This was down from 3.3% in May and below the market estimate of 3.1%. The monthly reading was impressive at -0.1%, the first decline since May 2020. Core inflation also eased in June and market expectations for a September rate cut have jumped to 86%, compared to 69% a day just prior to the inflation report. The Federal Reserve has gone to great lengths to dampen rate cut expectations but may send a more dovish signal to the markets following the very soft inflation data.

The US dollar had a bad day at the office on Thursday but the extent of the slide against the yen raised suspicions that Tokyo had intervened in the currency markets. A report on Japanese TV said that the government and the Bank of Japan had intervened after the US dollar posted losses following the US inflation report.

Japan’s chief currency diplomat, Masato Kanda, didn’t surprise anyone by saying “no comment” about whether there was an intervention on Thursday. Japan is embroiled in a constant cat-and-mouse game with yen speculators and its policy is to keep market participants in the dark about currency interventions. With the Bank of Japan signaling that it plans to tighten policy, we can expect additional volatility from the Japanese currency.

USD/JPY technical

USD/JPY tested resistance at 159.37. Above, there is resistance at 161.30.

There is support at 156.97.

Author

Kenny Fisher

MarketPulse

A highly experienced financial market analyst with a focus on fundamental analysis, Kenneth Fisher’s daily commentary covers a broad range of markets including forex, equities and commodities.

GBP/USD weakens below 1.3250 on UK political risks, BoE repricing

The GBP/USD pair trades in negative territory around 1.3245 during the early Asian trading hours on Wednesday. Traders await the UK political developments, focusing on potential leadership by Andy Burnham and adherence to existing fiscal rules. Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey is set to speak later in the day. On Thursday, all eyes will be on the US jobs data for June.

EUR/USD declines to near 1.1400 as softer German inflation undercuts ECB hike bets

The EUR/USD pair loses momentum to near 1.1410 during the early Asian trading hours on Wednesday, pressured by receding bets for aggressive tightening by the European Central Bank (ECB). Traders will take more cues from the preliminary reading of the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices from the Eurozone and US Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index report, which are due later in the day.

Gold seems vulnerable around $4,000 amid a bullish USD

Gold trades with a mild negative bias around $4,000 following the previous day's two-way price swings as the US Dollar stands firm amid safe-haven demand, bolstered by uncertainty surrounding US-Iran talks. Meanwhile, Tuesday's strong labor market data reaffirmed bets for a Fed rate hike in 2026 . This further underpins the buck and keeps the non-yielding bullion close to the YTD trough set the previous day.

Ethereum: Sharplink makes first treasury purchase in 2026 amid ETH's fall from grace

Ethereum treasury firm Sharplink resumed accumulation of the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization last week after months on the sidelines. The Florida-based firm acquired 10,000 ETH last week at an average price of $1,611 per ETH, marking its first purchase since October. The move has pushed its holdings to 886,725 ETH worth roughly $1.4 billion at the time of writing.

Why a hawkish Bank of Japan could trigger the next Bitcoin sell-off

The Japanese Yen hits a 40-year low of 162.00 against the US Dollar, raising concerns about intervention or additional rate hikes by the Bank of Japan. BoJ may sell US Treasuries to buy back Yen, potentially pushing US bond yields higher and making Bitcoin less attractive to investors.

Kevin Warsh isn't expected to say much in Sintra: That's exactly why markets will listen

Financial markets could find an important catalyst in the enchanting, fairytale-like landscape of Sintra this week. The ECB Forum will, as it does every year, gather the crème de la crème of central banks. The new boss at the Fed, who has clearly said that the Fed should stop explaining everything, will need to talk – and traders should listen.