|

Japanese Yen: Sharp rebound and Fed repricing – MUFG

MUFG’s Michael Wan highlights a sharp strengthening in the Japanese Yen, with USD/JPY dropping from 160 to around 155.30 as the Dollar broadly weakened and Asian FX gained. The report notes uncertainty over any Bank of Japan (BoJ) intervention, discusses hawkish BoJ rhetoric, and argues that excessive Fed rate expectations should unwind, leading to a weaker Dollar over time.

Yen surge and Dollar repricing

"There were significant moves in the FX market, with the Japanese yen in particular strengthening sharply from the 160 level on 2 Sep all the way down to as low as 155.30 overnight, a 5 big figure move."

"It is not entirely clear whether the moves in USD/JPY were driven by FX intervention, but from what we do know Bank of Japan current account data for Wednesday do not suggest the moves were driven by intervention."

"More generally on the Bank of Japan front, BOJ Board Member Takata – one of BOJ’s most hawkish members - gave a speech earlier this week leaving the door open for an outsized interest rate increase as well as back-to-back hikes."

"This led the JPY OIS market to start to price in some chance albeit small right now of more than 25bps hike in BOJ’s September meeting."

"Overall, these views and developments fit in with our global teams’ views that pricing for Fed hike rate expectations are too excessive especially post the Jackson hole meeting, and the Dollar should weaken over time."

(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor. Know more.)

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

The FXStreet Insights Team is a group of journalists that handpicks selected market observations published by renowned experts. The content includes notes by commercial as well as additional insights by internal and external analysts.

More from FXStreet Insights Team
Share:

Editor's Picks

USD/JPY eyes August swing low, near 155.20 ahead of US NFP

USD/JPY retests the August monthly swing low during the Asian session on Friday as a more hawkish repricing of BoJ rate-hike bets and a suspected intervention continue to underpin the Japanese Yen. Meanwhile, the US Dollar is seen consolidating the previous day's heavy losses amid soft US bond yields, further weighing on the currency pair as traders keenly await the US NFP report.

AUD/USD consolidates above 0.7200; US NFP awaited

AUD/USD holds steady above 0.7200, near its highest level since mid-May, as bulls await the US NFP report for more cues on the Fed's policy path before placing fresh bets. Meanwhile, the recent decline in US bond yields keeps the US Dollar depressed near its lowest level in over a week and acts as a tailwind for the Aussie amid the RBA's hawkish tilt.

Gold tumbles as blockbuster US NFP lift US Dollar, Treasury yields

Gold (XAU/USD) falls sharply on Friday, snapping a two-day recovery after the US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report surprised strongly to the upside. The metal briefly climbed above $4,500 on Thursday, gaining nearly 2%, but has since erased a large part of that advance.

Crypto’s $638 million buyback boom may not be as bullish as it looks
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) protocols reportedly spent $638 million to buy back their native tokens in August, up 17% from a year earlier. On the surface, the buyback trend suggests the cryptocurrency industry is maturing fast, adopting one of Wall Street’s oldest tools to bolster valuations and distribute revenue. The headline becomes less impressive once the number is opened up.
Why hawkish Bank of Japan expectations aren't enough to sustain the Japanese Yen rally

The Japanese Yen (JPY) experienced a sudden burst higher after falling back below the 160.00 psychological mark against the US Dollar (USD) earlier this week amid a more hawkish repricing of Bank of Japan (BoJ) rate hike expectations.

Diesel’s record $100 warning: The oil shock hiding in plain sight

The Oil market may look calmer than it did a few months ago, but diesel is sending a very different message. The US diesel crack spread, the premium of ultra-low sulphur diesel futures over WTI, recently surged above $100 per barrel for the first time, reaching an intraday record of just over $102.00.