USD/JPY between North Korea and the debt ceiling – Danske Bank

Pablo Piovano FXStreet

Allan von Mehren, Chief Analyst at Danske Bank, assessed the recent price action around the pair.

Key Quotes

“USD/JPY dropped below 108.20 driven by USD weakness on the back of EUR/USD buying related to the ECB meeting and as North Korean woes continues to weigh on risk sentiment and USD/JPY”.

“At the time of writing, the cross has stayed above our long USD/JPY position’s stop loss level at 108. However, further USD/JPY selling pressure ahead of North Korea’s foundation day tomorrow could push the cross below 108 today”.

“Previously, we have seen strong local demand below 108, but given the high uncertainty due to the US-North Korean tensions, the cross could fall substantially from here if the crisis escalates”.

“Meanwhile, the three-month suspension of the US debt ceiling has improved the prospect of a higher USD/JPY near term, However, North Korea will continue to dominate USD/JPY price actions”.

Author

Pablo Piovano

FXStreet

Born and bred in Argentina, Pablo has been carrying on with his passion for FX markets and trading since his first college years.

EUR/USD accelerates losses, focus is on 1.1800

EUR/USD’s selling pressure is gathering pace now, opening the door to a potential test of the key 1.1800 region sooner rather than later. The pair’s pullback comes on the back of marked gains in the US Dollar following US data releases and the publication of the FOMC Minutes later in the day.

GBP/USD turns negative near 1.3540

GBP/USD reverses its initial upside momentum and is now adding to previous declines, revisiting at the same time the 1.3540 region on Wednesday. Cable’s downtick comes on the back of decent gains in the Greenback and easing UK inflation figures, which seem to have reinforced the case for a BoE rate cut in March.

Gold picks pace, flirts with $5,000

Gold is back on the front foot on Wednesday, shaking off part of the early week softness and pushing higher towards the key $5,000 mark per troy ounce. The move comes ahead of the FOMC Minutes and is unfolding despite an intense rebound in the US Dollar.

Fed Minutes to shed light on January hold decision amid hawkish rate outlook

The Minutes of the Fed’s January 27-28 monetary policy meeting will be published today. Details of discussions on the decision to leave the policy rate unchanged will be scrutinized by investors.

Mixed UK inflation data no gamechanger for the Bank of England

Food inflation plunged in January, but service sector price pressure is proving stickier. We continue to expect Bank of England rate cuts in March and June. The latest UK inflation read is a mixed bag for the Bank of England, but we doubt it drastically changes the odds of a March rate cut.

Sui extends sideways action ahead of Grayscale’s GSUI ETF launch

Sui is extending its downtrend for the second consecutive day, trading at 0.95 at the time of writing on Wednesday. The Layer-1 token is down over 16% in February and approximately 34% from the start of the year, aligning with the overall bearish sentiment across the crypto market.