- USD/JPY witnessed some selling for the second straight session on Thursday.
- The downtick was exclusively sponsored by some follow-through USD selling.
- The upbeat market mood, dovish BoJ might help limit any further downside.
The USD/JPY pair extended its steady intraday decline and dropped to fresh two-week lows, around the 103.30 region in the last hour, albeit quickly recovered few pips thereafter.
The pair failed to capitalize on its early uptick, instead met with some fresh supply near the 103.65 area and turned lower for the second consecutive session on Thursday. The US dollar witnessed some follow-through selling, which, in turn, was seen as one of the key factors exerting pressure on the USD/JPY pair.
Bearish traders further took cues from a weaker tone surrounding the US Treasury bond yields and seemed rather unaffected by dovish Bank of Japan (BoJ) economic assessment. In fact, the Japanese central bank revised its GDP target for the fiscal year 2020 to -5.6% from the previous projection of -5.5%.
That said, the prevalent risk-on environment – as depicted by the ongoing rally in the equity markets – undermined the Japanese yen and helped limit deeper losses for the USD/JPY pair. The global risk sentiment remained supported by hopes that more US stimulus package under Joe Biden's presidency will boost economic growth.
Apart from this, comments by the BoJ Governor, Haruhiko Kuroda further weighed on the JPY and extended some support to the USD/JPY pair. Speaking at the post-meeting press conference, Kuroda reiterated that the BoJ is watching the impact of the coronavirus closely and will not hesitate to ease further if needed.
Despite the supporting factors, the USD/JPY pair, so far, has struggled to register any meaningful recovery. The lack of any buying interest suggests that the near-term bearish bias might still be far from being over. Hence, any bounce might still be seen as a selling opportunity, warranting caution for bullish traders.
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 drops toward 1.0700 after US jobs report

EUR/USD came under renewed bearish pressure in the second half of the day on Friday and declined toward 1.0700. Stronger-than-expected Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data helps the US Dollar gather strength ahead of the weekend and forces the pair to stay on the back foot.
GBP/USD extends slide below 1.2450 amid a stronger USD

GBP/USD dropped further and hit fresh daily lows below 1.2450 amid a stronger US dollar. The Greenback remains firm following the release of the US May jobs report. Despite losing almost 100 pips on Friday, GBP/USD is still on track for a weekly gain.
Gold falls below $1,960 as US yields rebound after US jobs data

Gold price turned south and declined below $1,960 on Friday. After the data from the US revealed that Nonfarm Payrolls rose 339,000 in May, the benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield gained more than 2% and recovered toward 3.7%, weighing heavily on XAU/USD.
China crypto community picks Ethereum, Arbitrum and BNB Chain as top protocols

Ethereum, Arbitrum and BNB Chain protocols are top picks for the Chinese crypto community, data from a report shows, a possible bullish catalyst for tokens related to these protocols as Hong Kong opens the door of crypto to retail investors.
LULU stock adds 15% on big Wall Street beat

Lululemon Athletica did it again. In something that has become quite predictable, LULU stock sailed 14.9% higher in Friday’s premarket to $377.20 after the prized athleisure brand posted a nearly 15% earnings beat for the first quarter.