|

USD/JPY rebounds to near 156.50 as BoJ refrains from committing specific rate hike path

  • USD/JPY recovers sharply to near 156.50 as Japanese Yen underperforms its major peers.
  • The BoJ refrained from providing a specific policy-tightening path.
  • US President Trump has pushed back fears of imposing tariffs on China.

The USD/JPY recovers Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) interest rate hike-inspired losses and rises to near 156.60 in Friday’s North American session. The Japanese Yen (JPY) has turned upside down in the aftermath of the BoJ’s monetary policy announcement.

Japanese Yen PRICE Today

The table below shows the percentage change of Japanese Yen (JPY) against listed major currencies today. Japanese Yen was the strongest against the US Dollar.

 USDEURGBPJPYCADAUDNZDCHF
USD -0.55%-0.50%0.27%-0.31%-0.31%-0.46%-0.02%
EUR0.55% 0.05%0.82%0.24%0.23%0.09%0.52%
GBP0.50%-0.05% 0.78%0.19%0.18%0.04%0.48%
JPY-0.27%-0.82%-0.78% -0.60%-0.60%-0.76%-0.32%
CAD0.31%-0.24%-0.19%0.60% -0.00%-0.15%0.29%
AUD0.31%-0.23%-0.18%0.60%0.00% -0.14%0.28%
NZD0.46%-0.09%-0.04%0.76%0.15%0.14% 0.43%
CHF0.02%-0.52%-0.48%0.32%-0.29%-0.28%-0.43% 

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).

The initial reaction from the Yen was very bullish after the BoJ raised its key borrowing rates by 25 basis points (bps) to 0.5%, as expected. However, it dived later. Only one policymaker, Toyoaki Nakamura, dissented to the decision to tighten the monetary policy further. The sell-off in the Yen came after BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda’s press conference in which he refrained from committing a pre-defined policy-tightening path.

We don't have any preset idea and the central bank will make a decision at each policy meeting by looking at economic and price developments as well as risks,” Ueda said.

When asked about the impact of United States (US) President Donald Trump’s tariff policies on BoJ’s monetary policy stance, Ueda said, “There's very high uncertainty on the scale of tariffs. Once there is more clarity, we will take that into our forecasts and reflect them in deciding policy."

Though investors have underpinned the US Dollar (USD) against the Yen, it is underperforming its other peers as its risk-premium has diminished significantly. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, slumps to 107.45, the lowest level seen in over a month.

USD’s risk premium has been diminished as Trump has dialed back expectations of tariffs on China. In an interview with Fox News on Thursday, Trump said that he could reach a deal with China without raising tariffs.

Author

Sagar Dua

Sagar Dua

FXStreet

Sagar Dua is associated with the financial markets from his college days. Along with pursuing post-graduation in Commerce in 2014, he started his markets training with chart analysis.

More from Sagar Dua
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 posts modest gains above 1.1700 as ECB signals pause

The EUR/USD pair posts modest gains around 1.1710 during the early Asian session on Monday. The Euro strengthens against the Greenback after the European Central Bank left its policy rates unchanged and took a more positive view on the Eurozone economy, which has shown resilience to global trade shocks. Financial markets are likely to remain subdued as traders book profits ahead of the long holiday period.

GBP/USD steadies below 1.3400 as traders assess BoE policy outlook

Following Thursday's volatile session, GBP/USD moves sideways below 1.3400 on Friday. Investors reassess the Bank of England's policy oıtlook after the MPC decided to cut the interest rate by 25 bps by a slim margin. Meanwhile, the improving risk mood helps the pair hold its ground.

Gold: 2026 could see new record-highs but a 2025-like rally is unlikely

Gold started the year on a bullish note and registered impressive gains in the first quarter. Following a consolidation phase during the summer months, the precious metal surged higher in the third quarter and reached an all-time record high of $4,381 in October. Although XAU/USD corrected lower, buyers refused to hand over the reins heading into the holiday season.

Week ahead: Key risks to watch in last days of 2025 and early 2026

The festive period officially starts next week, with many traders vacating their desks until the first full week of January, making way for thin trading volumes and very few top-tier releases.

How much can one month of soft inflation change the Fed’s mind?

One month of softer inflation data is rarely enough to shift Federal Reserve policy on its own, but in a market highly sensitive to every data point, even a single reading can reshape expectations. November’s inflation report offered a welcome sign of cooling price pressures. 

XRP rebounds amid ETF inflows and declining retail demand demand

XRP rebounds as bulls target a short-term breakout above $2.00 on Friday. XRP ETFs record the highest inflow since December 8, signaling growing institutional appetite.