USD/JPY: Bank of Japan keeps rates on hold – ING

FXStreet Insights Team FXStreet

The Japanese Yen (JPY) move is fairly muted, rising against the dollar to 144.46 (vs 145 previously) then staying range-bound, and JGB futures dropped around 0.1% after the Bank of Japan's decision to keep its policy rate at 0.5% and to slow the JGB tapering from April 2026, ING's FX analyst Francesco Pesole notes.

Yen seems muted on hawkish signals

"Both decisions are in line with the market consensus. The BoJ will reduce JGB purchases by 200bn per quarter starting from April 2026. But there was one dissenting voter, and there will be a meeting between the MoF and PDs later this week, which may create more volatility. So, this might have given some cautiousness to the JGB market."

"The BoJ’s JGB hold on the short end is relatively smaller than the long end, thus quantitative tightening has a much bigger impact on market rates. Slowing QT doesn’t necessarily signal a slowdown of rate hikes by the BoJ. To sum up, the BoJ’s decision was in line with the market consensus, and the market’s initial reaction seems a bit limited."

Author

FXStreet Insights Team

FXStreet

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.

AUD/USD sticks to positive bias above 0.7100; lacks bullish conviction

AUD/USD trades with a positive bias for the second straight day, holding above 0.7100 in the Asian session on Friday as softer US bond yields keep US Dollar bulls on the back foot. Furthermore, hawkish RBA Governor Bullock's comments boost rate hike bets and support the Aussie. However, the Fed's hawkish outlook, along with geopolitical uncertainties, limits USD losses and caps the pair.

USD/JPY approaches 158.00 as Japanese Yen resumes decline

USD/JPY is resuming its upside in the European session on Friday, refreshing two-week highs and nearing 158.00. The Japanese Yen extends losses, despite the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) expected rate hike to 1.25% and hawkish Governor Ueda's comments, as two surprise dissents against the rate hike weigh on it.

Gold: Upside remains capped by $4,400

Gold adds to the optimism seen in the second half of the week, trading with decent gains around the $4,370 region per troy ounce on Friday. The yellow metal’s advance finds traction in declining crude oil prices, and manages to offset the continuation of the move higher in the US Dollar and rising US Treasury yields across the curve.

Why altcoin season isn't coming back — and what stole its capital

If, after two years of being frozen in ice, Katara and Sokka woke you up to the crypto market, it would seem like 100 years have passed. With Bitcoin soaring to record highs just over a year ago, everyone expected a routine altcoin season, where investors take profits from the top crypto to chase higher returns in altcoins.

BoJ Recap: Not as hawkish as expected

The BoJ raised its short-term interest-rate target to 1.25% from 1.00% in a 7-2 vote, marking another step in the normalisation of monetary policy and widely matching what everyone has been expecting for weeks. Governor Kazuo Ueda said the policy phase had changed.

BoJ Recap: Not as hawkish as expected

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised its short-term interest-rate target to 1.25% from 1.00% in a 7-2 vote, marking another step in the normalisation of monetary policy and widely matching what everyone has been expecting for weeks.