|

USD/JPY Price Forecast: Trades below 160.00 intervention threshold; bullish bias intact

  • USD/JPY retreats from over a one-month high set on Thursday, though it lacks follow-through.
  • The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire weighs on the USD and the currency pair amid intervention fears.
  • The bullish technical setup warrants some caution before positioning for any corrective decline.

The USD/JPY pair attracts some sellers during the Asian session on Thursday amid fears that authorities will step in again to prop up the Japanese Yen (JPY). Furthermore, the Israel-Lebanon truce prompts some profit-taking around the US Dollar (USD) and exerts downward pressure on the currency pair.

Spot prices, however, lack follow-through and remain close to the 160.00 psychological mark or over a one-month high set earlier today. Economic concerns stemming from the Middle East conflict hold back the JPY bulls from placing aggressive bets. Adding to this, the uncertainty over US-Iran peace talks, along with hawkish US Federal Reserve (Fed) expectations, acts as a tailwind for the USD and contributes to limiting the downside for the USD/JPY pair.

Spot prices retain a constructive near-term tone within an upward-sloping channel. The lower boundary of the said channel coincides  with the 200-period simple moving average (SMA), which acted as a tailwind for the USD/JPY pair on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the Relative Strength Index (RSI) hovers above the midline, suggesting modest bullish momentum even as the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) flattens slightly below zero.

Momentum indicators hint at a slower advance rather than a sharp reversal. Hence, any corrective pullback might continue to attract fresh buyers near the 159.45 confluence support. A convincing break, however, might prompt some technical selling and pave the way for deeper losses. As long as buyers defend this support band above 159.44, the broader bias stays tilted higher, and a renewed push toward the channel top at 160.14 remains the primary topside scenario.

(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)

USD/JPY 4-hour chart

Chart Analysis USD/JPY

Japanese Yen Price Last 30 days

The table below shows the percentage change of Japanese Yen (JPY) against listed major currencies last 30 days. Japanese Yen was the strongest against the Canadian Dollar.

USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD0.71%0.76%1.66%2.05%0.54%-0.02%0.83%
EUR-0.71%0.06%0.97%1.36%-0.20%-0.70%0.17%
GBP-0.76%-0.06%0.92%1.29%-0.23%-0.76%0.12%
JPY-1.66%-0.97%-0.92%0.35%-1.16%-1.66%-0.82%
CAD-2.05%-1.36%-1.29%-0.35%-1.50%-2.00%-1.16%
AUD-0.54%0.20%0.23%1.16%1.50%-0.54%0.39%
NZD0.02%0.70%0.76%1.66%2.00%0.54%0.89%
CHF-0.83%-0.17%-0.12%0.82%1.16%-0.39%-0.89%

The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Japanese Yen from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent JPY (base)/USD (quote).

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

GBP/USD clings to small gains near 1.3450 after UK jobs data

GBP/USD trades in positive territory at around 1.3450 in the European session on Tuesday. The UK ILO Unemployment Rate remained at 4.9% in the three months to May, compared with expectations of 5%, but failed to provide any impetus to the British Pound's renewed uptick. Traders stay cautious amid US-Iran uncertainty and the UK political transition.

EUR/USD keeps range above 1.1400 after German ZEW

EUR/USD is keeping its range above 1.1400 in Tuesday's European session, as the US Dollar (USD) retreats following Monday's rebound. Nevertheless, the uncertainty around the US-Iran conflict limits the pair's upside. Meanwhile, the Euro (EUR) pays little heed to the strong German sentiment data, as traders await Thursday's European Central Bank policy announcements, which could drive the Euro's near-term valuation.

Gold extends recovery toward $4,100

Gold gains traction following Monday's choppy action and advances toward $4,100 on Tuesday. However, the uncertainty surrounding the conflict in the Middle East and growing expectations for a hawkish Federal Reserve policy outlook could make it difficult for the precious metal to gather bullish momentum in the near term.

Shiba Inu price extends gains as on-chain and derivatives metrics confirm bullish bias

Shiba Inu extends gains, trading above $0.0000042 after breaking above the descending trendline the previous day. Strengthening on-chain data and improving derivatives metrics support further gains for the meme coin. CryptoQuant’s exchange netflow chart below shows five consecutive days of net outflows since July 17.

Brent nears a critical crossroads as the global economy faces one too
Markets spent last Friday digesting a Reuters report that Iran has told the Houthis to stand ready to close Bab el-Mandeb if the US strikes Iranian power infrastructure — missiles and drones are reportedly already positioned near the strait, awaiting the order from IRGC officers in Yemen.
US Dollar mid-year outlook: Exceptional currency, exceptional risks?
The US Dollar enters the second half of 2026 in a markedly different position from a year ago. The King currency has recovered, reflecting persistent US inflation, changing expectations for Fed policy, geopolitical tensions and renewed demand for defensive assets.