USD/JPY: You could hear a pin drop, but Brexit shenaniguns on the radar

USD/JPY is flat in what would be otherwise the Tokyo open, but today is a holiday in Japan and liquidity is thin out there. Spot trades at 108.61 in a tight 9-pip range between 108.54 and 108.63. 

Overnight, it was a positive mood on Wall Street, yet, despite that the pair only added 15 pips and prints 3 pips higher in Asia. The focus stayed with Brexit and trade relations between the US and China. Overnight, US President Trump stated that the “trade deal with China is coming along great” and that he foresees a dal being signed in November at the APEC Conference in Chile should it not be cancelled due to the current protests. 

As for Brexit, with just 10 days left until the United Kingdom is due to leave the EU on Oct. 31, speaker John Bercow said a vote should not be allowed on Monday as the same issue had been discussed on Saturday when opponents turned Johnson’s big Brexit day into a humiliation. However, as for this week's UK Parliamentary proceedings, UK House of Commons leader Rees-Mogg announced that the Withdrawal Agreement will be published shortly and that the house will have 2nd reading of the Withdrawal Bill tonight - It may not lead to much today, but its brewing and risk sentiment is volatile, which keeps the Yen in play.  

US stocks gain on trade deal optimism

As a result, stocks maintained their positive momentum on Wall Street, and the Industrial Average, DJIA, added 57.44 points, or 0.2%, to close at 26,827.64 on the day while the S&P 500 index added 20.52 points, or 0.7%, to finish around 3,006.72 and within inches of its closing high of 3,025.86 set on July 26. 

However, the US 2-year Treasury yields slipped from 1.59% to 1.57%, while the 10-year yield stuck sideways between 1.73% and 1.77%. "Markets were pricing 22 basis points of easing at the 31st October meeting and a terminal rate of 1.21% (vs 1.88% currently)," analysts at Westpac explained. 

USD/JPY levels

Valeria Bednarik, the Chief analysts at FXStreet explained that in the 4-hour chart, it "shows that it remained capped by a directionless 20 SMA, while technical indicators remain flat around their midlines, reflecting the ongoing wait-and-see stance. The bullish case remains alive, with buyers targeting 109.31, August monthly high."