- USD/JPY gained strong traction on Thursday and snapped two days of the losing streak.
- A strong pickup in the USD demand was seen as a key factor driving the pair higher.
- The momentum picked up pace following the release of mostly upbeat US macro data.
The USD/JPY pair witnessed an aggressive short-covering move during the early North American session and jumped to the 109.80-85 region in reaction to mostly upbeat US macro data.
The pair attracted some dip-buying near the 109.20 region on Thursday and built on the previous day's modest bounce from near one-month lows amid resurgent US dollar demand. The USD/JPY pair, for now, seems to have stalled this week's softer US CPI-inspired retracement slide and snap two consecutive days of the losing streak.
The USD buying picked up pace after the headline US Retail Sales smashed estimates and increased 0.7% MoM in August. Moreover, sales excluding autos recorded a much stronger growth and came in at 1.8%, underscoring consumer confidence. Adding to this, the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index jumped to 30.7 in September from 19.4 previous.
This, to a larger extent, helped offset a slight disappointment from Weekly Initial Jobless Claims, which rose from a pandemic-era low of 312K to 332K during the week ended September 10. Nevertheless, the data pointed to the continuation of economic recovery and reaffirmed expectations about an imminent Fed taper announcement later this year.
This was reinforced by a sharp spike in the US Treasury bond yields. In fact, the yield on the benchmark 10-year US government bond rallied back to the 1.35% threshold, which further underpinned the greenback. The combination of factors lifted the USD/JPY pair back above the 109.45-50 strong horizontal support breakpoint.
Meanwhile, worries about the Delta variant and a global economic slowdown continued weighing on investors' sentiment. This was evident from a softer tone around the equity markets, which might underpin demand for the safe-haven Japanese yen and keep a lid on any further gains for the USD/JPY pair, at least for now.
Technical levels to watch
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD clings to gains above 1.0750 after US data
EUR/USD manages to hold in positive territory above 1.0750 despite retreating from the fresh multi-week high it set above 1.0800 earlier in the day. The US Dollar struggles to find demand following the weaker-than-expected NFP data.
GBP/USD declines below 1.2550 following NFP-inspired upsurge
GBP/USD struggles to preserve its bullish momentum and trades below 1.2550 in the American session. Earlier in the day, the disappointing April jobs report from the US triggered a USD selloff and allowed the pair to reach multi-week highs above 1.2600.
Gold struggles to hold above $2,300 despite falling US yields
Gold stays on the back foot below $2,300 in the American session on Friday. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield stays in negative territory below 4.6% after weak US data but the improving risk mood doesn't allow XAU/USD to gain traction.
Bitcoin Weekly Forecast: Should you buy BTC here? Premium
Bitcoin (BTC) price shows signs of a potential reversal but lacks confirmation, which has divided the investor community into two – those who are buying the dips and those who are expecting a further correction.
Week ahead – BoE and RBA decisions headline a calm week
Bank of England meets on Thursday, unlikely to signal rate cuts. Reserve Bank of Australia could maintain a higher-for-longer stance. Elsewhere, Bank of Japan releases summary of opinions.