|

USD/JPY: Cautious of getting carried away – OCBC

USD/JPY took another leg lower after US payrolls disappointed while renewed geopolitical concerns is another trigger for safe-haven proxy Japanese Yeb (JPY), OCBC FX strategists Frances Cheung and Christopher Wong note.  

USD/JPY set to be a case of sell-on-rallies

“Broader direction of travel for USDJPY has now changed as Fed-BoJ policies shift from divergence to convergence. We also noted how the recent decline in USD/JPY saw a recoupling of the FX to UST-JGB yield differentials. Back during May – Jul, USD/JPY had earlier traded much higher while UST yields and UST-JGB yield differentials went the other way lower.”

“And if we do expect USD/JPY to play catchup to its historical correlation with UST-JGB yield differentials, then there is room for USD/JPY to trade lower. Based on where 2y yield differentials is, our simple univariate fair value model estimates put USDJPY theoretical value at closer to 136. The large misalignment merely suggests that is room for USD/JPY to head lower over time. Pair was last at 145.15 levels.”

“While the broad bias is for further downside, we are cautious not to get overly carried away in the short term. There is risk of retracement from current levels. Resistance at 148.54, 145 and 144.50 levels.  (38.2% fibo retracement of 2024 low to high). Bias to sell rallies. Intra-day, we watch US ISM services data tonight.”

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:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD eases from around 1.1800 after US GDP figures

The US Dollar is finding some near-term demand after the release of the US Q3 GDP. According to the report, the economy expanded at an annualized rate of 4.3% in the three months to September, well above the 3.3% forecast by market analysts.

GBP/USD retreats below 1.3500 on modest USD recovery

GBP/USD retreats from session highs and trades slightly below 1.3500 in the second half of the day on Tuesday. The US Dollar stages a rebound following the better-than-expected Q3 growth data, limiting the pair's upside ahead of the Christmas break.

Gold: Record rally sustains above $4,500 on safe-haven flows

Gold sustains the record-setting rally above $4,500 in the Asian session on Wednesday. The Israel-Iran conflict and the escalating US-Venezuela tensions boost safe-haven flows into Gold. Furthermore, US Q3 GDP data fails to lift the US Dollar amid growing bets for two Fed rate cuts in 2026, underpinning the non-yielding bullion. 

The crypto market is preparing us for a deeper global sell-off

The crypto market capitalisation fell by 1.4% to $2.97T, falling below the $3T mark once again. The market was unable to repeat the robust rebound from the local bottom, as it did after 23 November and 2 December, indicating increased pressure from sellers.

Ten questions that matter going into 2026

2026 may be less about a neat “base case” and more about a regime shift—the market can reprice what matters most (growth, inflation, fiscal, geopolitics, concentration). The biggest trap is false comfort: the same trades can look defensive… right up until they become crowded.

Dogecoin ticks lower as low Open Interest, funding rate weigh on buyers

Dogecoin extends its decline as risk-off sentiment dominates across the crypto market. DOGE’s derivatives market remains weak amid suppressed futures Open Interest and perpetual funding rate.