|

Japanese intervention to protect USD/ JPY above psychological 100

The Nikkei has published details of  Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's request to officials at Japan's Ministry of Finance not to allow USD/JPY  to fall below 100, a request that was confirmed by a number of sources. 

"Make sure the yen-dollar exchange rate does not cross the 100 yen mark."

Market implication

Central bank intervention is a dangerous path to tread, just ask the Bank of England, for the market is far larger than any central bank. 

However, it is a ling in the sand now for the market to be aware of and the psychology is that the market knows there will be a big buyer below 100.00 to target.

Going back as far as Sep 96, the market has rarely sustained an offer below 100 for a significant period of time until 2008 which lasted a number years until 2014. 

Then, the last time the price fell below 100 was in 2016. USD/JPY reached a low of just a few pips below 99.00 and ranged between 99.5 and 107 for the summer until Nov when it rallied to the 118s. 

USD/JPY has since been as low as 101.18 during the pandemic of March 2020.

Author

Ross J Burland

Ross J Burland, born in England, UK, is a sportsman at heart. He played Rugby and Judo for his county, Kent and the South East of England Rugby team.

More from Ross J Burland
Share:

Editor's Picks

AUD/USD keeps the red near 0.6950 after weak Aussie jobs data

AUD/USD holds losses near 0.6950 on disappointing Australian jobs data, extending the previous day's retracement slide from the monthly high and hitting a fresh weekly low during Thursday’s Asian session. Meanwhile, declining US bond yields drag the US Dollar away from the April 2025 high, touched after Wednesday's hot US CPI, helping limit losses for the currency pair.

USD/JPY slides back below 158.00 as USD reverses post-CPI gains

USD/JPY extends the previous day's pullback from a three-week high, attracting follow-through selling and sliding below 158.00 during Thursday's Asian session. Traders remain on high alert amid speculation that authorities will step in to prop up the Japanese Yen. The US Dollar, meanwhile, reverses Wednesday's hot CPI-led gains to April 2025 highs as US bond yields retreat on China bond-buying talk, further pressuring the pair.

Gold shrugs off hot US PPI as risk aversion drives bond yields lower

Gold attracts fresh buying on Thursday as weakness across global equities, driven by mounting concerns over AI-related investments, triggers a sharp pullback in US Treasury yields and drags the US Dollar lower from fresh year-to-date highs.

Ripple clings to $1.30 support as downside risks intensify

Ripple is stuck in a bearish trend, trading near $1.30 on Thursday. The remittance token’s bearish shift reflects the broader cryptocurrency market, which remains under heavy selling amid concerns about accelerating inflation in the US.

Budget preview: Is Healey impressing the bond market?

There is less than 2 weeks to go before the Chancellor delivers his first budget. Unusually for the UK, the economic and financial backdrop to this budget is upbeat. UK bonds have been rallying, the FTSE 100 is the top performing major stock index this week, and the Pound is also stabilising versus the Dollar.

Everyone's dumping Gold after hot US inflation. Here's why $4,100 could be a floor, not a cliff
Gold (XAU/USD) is recovering from a sharp sell-off triggered by hotter-than-expected United States (US) inflation data released on Wednesday. The precious metal briefly plunged toward $4,073 as investors increased their bets on further Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate hikes before recovering as US Treasury yields and the US Dollar (USD) reversed their initial gains.