|

USD/JPY: Range trade with intervention risk – OCBC

OCBC strategists Sim Moh Siong and Christopher Wong note USD/JPY stayed range-bound after a mildly hawkish Bank of Japan (BoJ) hold, as cautious guidance and high Oil prices erased initial Yen (JPY) gains. They sees sustained high Oil prices limiting downside below 158, while rallies into the 160s risk Ministry of Finance (MoF) intervention, and it maintains an end-2026 USD/JPY target of 155.

High oil and MoF risk cap extremes

"USD/JPY was choppy but ultimately went nowhere after the Bank of Japan delivered a mildly hawkish hold, keeping the policy rate at 0.75%."

"Sustained high oil prices make a move below USD/JPY 158 difficult."

"Conversely, any rally into the 160s risks Ministry of Finance intervention aimed at pushing the pair back toward 155."

"Overall, we stay cautious on JPY and maintain our end-2026 USD/JPY target of 155."

(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor.)

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:

Editor's Picks

GBP/USD weakens below 1.3250 as UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigns

The GBP/USD pair loses ground to near 1.3245 during the early Asian trading hours on Tuesday. Political uncertainty in the United Kingdom continues to weigh on the British Pound against the US Dollar. The preliminary readings of the S&P Global Purchasing Managers Index from both the US and the UK are due later on Tuesday. 


EUR/USD moves little amid market caution on ongoing US-Iran talks

EUR/USD steadies after registering modest losses in the previous day, trading around 1.1430 during the Asian hours on Tuesday. The currency pair remains locked in a tight range as traders closely monitor diplomatic developments surrounding ongoing talks between Washington and Tehran in Bürgenstock, Switzerland.

Gold holds lower ground near $4,150 on hawkish Fed bets

Gold struggles to capitalize on the previous day's modest gains and edges lower to near $4,150 in the Asian session on Tuesday. Firming expectations for a Fed rate hike and geopolitical uncertainties help the US Dollar to stand firm near its highest level since May 2025, undermining bullion.

NYSE parent ICE, OKX partners to expand tokenized equities and digital asset markets

The New York Stock Exchange parent company, Intercontinental Exchange, and crypto exchange OKX have formed a joint venture to develop infrastructure for tokenized and blockchain-native financial products, according to a statement on Monday. The venture will seek to operate as a US-registered broker-dealer and futures commission merchant, subject to regulatory approvals.

Is Shiba Inu dead or just in a crisis? The data behind SHIB's 95% crash

SHIB, the dog-themed meme coin that became one of the biggest success stories in crypto and turned early buyers into crypto millionaires, is facing tough times. Its price has fallen more than 32% so far this year, and it is down 95% from its all-time high in 2021. Is SHIB simply another fading meme coin, or is the market overlooking a possible recovery story?

Regime change: Inside Kevin Warsh's first move to make the Fed unreadable on purpose

The rate did not move. That was the least interesting thing about Kevin Warsh's first meeting in charge of the Fed. The FOMC held its benchmark at 3.50%-3.75% for the fourth straight meeting, exactly as priced, and then the new chair used his first press conference to dismantle the machinery the market has leaned on for a decade.