AUD/JPY falls to near 99.30 as Japanese Yen enjoys safe-haven status

AUD/JPY breaks its three-day winning streak, declining to near 99.30 during the Asian session on Friday. The Japanese Yen (JPY), considered a safe-haven currency, strengthened as geopolitical tensions escalated in the Middle East. This dynamic contributed to the weakening of the AUD/JPY cross.

The escalation of tensions follows Iran's vow to retaliate against Israel's attack on Iran's embassy in Syria, which led to the loss of Iranian military personnel. Additionally, reports indicating heightened threats against Israeli embassies in the United States (US) by Iran have further heightened market concerns.

Additionally, Bank of Japan (BoJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda suggested on Friday that the central bank might adjust monetary policy if foreign exchange fluctuations significantly affect the wage-inflation cycle in a manner that cannot be overlooked. Japan's Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that he is closely monitoring currency movements with a strong sense of urgency and is prepared to explore all available options to address excessive volatility in the foreign exchange market.

Minister Suzuki also highlighted that decisions regarding monetary policy, including the timing of interest rate adjustments, fall within the jurisdiction of the Bank of Japan's Board of Directors (BOD). The government aims to collaborate closely with the BOD to consistently achieve its inflation target stably.

Following the release of unchanged Final Retail Sales and disappointing Trade Balance data from Australia on Friday, the Australian Dollar (AUD) experienced a decline. According to data published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australia's Trade Surplus (Month-over-Month) narrowed to 7,280 million in March, falling short of the expected 10,400 million and February’s reading of 10,058 million.

The decrease in Australia's Exports by 2.2% month-over-month, in contrast to the previous increase of 1.6%, contributed to the narrowing surplus. Additionally, the nation’s Imports saw growth of 4.8%, compared to 1.3% in the previous period. Australia's Final Retail Sales remained unchanged at 0.3% in February, aligning with expectations.