|

USD/JPY: Upper house election Sunday – OCBC

Recent polls by Nikkei, Kyodo, Asahi shows LDP-Komeito coalition is at risk of losing Upper House election. USD/JPY last seen at 148.58, OCBC's FX analysts Frances Cheung and Christopher Wong note.

Bullish momentum on daily chart intact

"A total of 125 seats are up for grabs in the July 20 election. These include half of the seats in the Diet chamber and one for the Tokyo electoral district that has become vacant. The coalition held 141 Upper House seats before the campaign started, and 66 are being contested. Securing 50 seats will give the coalition a majority of 125 in the Upper House (i.e. they can afford to lose only 16 seats but losing more than 16 seats would imply a loss of majority for the coalition)."

"Seats lost in the Upper House can affect Ishiba administration. On the contrary, if PM Ishiba/coalition manages to get past this election, then it will be another 3 years before the next major election in Japan (excluding the election for LDP President in 2027). For now, the struggle in the Upper House has resulted in pledges of spending hikes and tax cuts in attempt to shore up votes. Moody’s has earlier warned that election results may impact fiscal health and ratings."

"This temporarily weighs on JPY outlook. Bullish momentum on daily chart intact but there are signs that RSI is turning lower near overbought conditions. Support at 147.15 (38.2% fibo), 146.20 levels. Resistance at 149.40/70 levels (200 DMA, 50% fibo retracement of 2025 high to low)."

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:

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 trims losses and returns to the 1.1750 area

The US Dollar resumed its decline in the American afternoon, helping EUR/USD trim early losses. The pair trades around 1.1750 as market participants gear up for the European Central Bank monetary policy decision and the United States Consumer Price Index.

GBP/USD consolidates above mid-1.3300s as traders await BoE and US CPI report

The GBP/USD pair struggles to capitalize on the overnight bounce from the 1.3310 area, or a one-week low, and oscillates in a narrow band during the Asian session on Thursday. Spot prices currently trade around the 1.3370 region, down less than 0.10% for the day, as traders opt to wait on the sidelines ahead of the key central bank event risk and US consumer inflation data.

Gold declines on profit-taking, USD strength ahead of US CPI release

Gold price edges lower below $4,350 during the Asian trading hours on Thursday. The precious metal retreats from seven-week highs amid some profit-taking and a rebound in the US Dollar (USD). The potential downside for the yellow metal might be limited after the recent US jobs data reinforce market expectations of further interest rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve and drag the USD lower. 

Top Crypto Losers: Pump.fun, SPX6900, Bittensor slide further with double-digit losses

Pump.fun, SPX6900, and Bittensor are leading the losses in the cryptocurrency market over the last 24 hours amid total liquidations of over $500 million. The retail segment alleges institutional manipulation amid an early-morning Bitcoin sell-off routine in the US market.

Monetary policy: Three central banks, three decisions, the same caution

While the Fed eased its monetary policy on 10 December for the third consecutive FOMC meeting, without making any guarantees about future action, the BoE, the ECB and the BoJ are holding their respective meetings this week. 

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP slide further as risk-off sentiment deepens

Bitcoin faces extended pressure as institutional investors reduce their risk exposure. Ethereum’s upside capped at $3,000, weighed down by ETF outflows and bearish signals. XRP slides toward November’s support at $1.82 despite mild ETF inflows.