|

USD/JPY consolidates strong gains to two-month peaks

The USD/JPY pair held on to its gains beyond the 114.00 handle, albeit has retreated few pips from fresh two-month tops touched in the past hour. 

A modest pull-back in the US Treasury bond yields seems to be only factor failing to provide any fresh bullish impetus for the US Dollar and assist the pair in building on to its strong gains beyond May monthly highs resistance near 114.35-40 region.

   •  USD/JPY scope for a test of 114.35 – UOB

However, the prevalent risk-on environment, as depicted by strong gains in global equity markets, was seen weighing on the Japanese Yen's safe-haven appeal. This accompanied with today's dovish comments by the BoJ Governor Haruhiko Kuroda and prospects of additional Fed rate hike action this year remained supportive of the strong bid tone surrounding the major.

In absence of any major market moving economic releases from the US, broader market risk sentiment and the US bond yield dynamics would remain key determinants of the pair's movement at the start of a new trading week.

Technical levels to watch

A strong follow through buying interest beyond the 114.35-40 immediate resistance has the potential to continue boosting the pair further towards the key 115.00 psychological mark en-route its next major hurdle near 115.30-35 region.

On the downside, retracement back below the 114.00 handle, leading to a subsequent drop below the 113.70 level, could drag the pair back towards a short-term ascending trend-line resistance breakpoint, now turned support near 113.25-20 region.
 

Author

Haresh Menghani

Haresh Menghani is a detail-oriented professional with 10+ years of extensive experience in analysing the global financial markets.

More from Haresh Menghani
Share:

Editor's Picks

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 keeps the bid tone in place; still below $4,400

Gold adds to the optimism seen in the second half of the week, trading with decent gains just below the $4,400 mark per troy ounce on Friday. The precious metal’s advance finds traction in declining crude oil prices and fresh selling pressure on the US Dollar.

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.