- USD/JPY gains ground due to rising odds of a smaller rate cut by the Fed in September.
- BoJ board member Naoki Tamura stated that there is no predetermined plan regarding the pace of future rate hikes.
- CME FedWatch Tool suggests the odds of a 50 bps rate cut by the Fed have decreased to 15.0%.
USD/JPY breaks its two-day losing streak, trading around 142.90 during the European hours on Thursday. The Japanese Yen (JPY) remains subdued following the remarks from the Bank of Japan (BoJ) board member Naoki Tamura.
BoJ board member Tamura stated that there is "no preset idea on the pace of further rate hikes." Unlike in the US and Europe, Japan's rate hikes are expected to proceed more gradually. The exact timing for when short-term rates in Japan might reach 1% will depend on the economic and price conditions at that time.
Read the full article: BoJ’s Tamura doesn't have a preset idea on the pace of further rate hikes
The upside of the USD/JPY pair could be attributed to rising expectations of a smaller interest rate cut by the Fed in September. August’s US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data showed that headline inflation dropped to a three-year low. This development has heightened the likelihood that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will begin its easing cycle with a 25-basis points interest rate cut in September.
The US Consumer Price Index dipped to 2.5% year-on-year in August, from the previous reading of 2.9%. The index has fallen short of the expected 2.6% reading. Meanwhile, headline CPI stood at 0.2% MoM. Core CPI ex Food & Energy, remained unchanged at 3.2% YoY. On a monthly basis, core CPI rose to 0.3% from the previous 0.2% reading.
According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets are fully anticipating at least a 25 basis point (bps) rate cut by the Federal Reserve at its September meeting. The likelihood of a 50 bps rate cut has sharply decreased to 15.0%, down from 44.0% a week ago.
Japanese Yen FAQs
The Japanese Yen (JPY) is one of the world’s most traded currencies. Its value is broadly determined by the performance of the Japanese economy, but more specifically by the Bank of Japan’s policy, the differential between Japanese and US bond yields, or risk sentiment among traders, among other factors.
One of the Bank of Japan’s mandates is currency control, so its moves are key for the Yen. The BoJ has directly intervened in currency markets sometimes, generally to lower the value of the Yen, although it refrains from doing it often due to political concerns of its main trading partners. The current BoJ ultra-loose monetary policy, based on massive stimulus to the economy, has caused the Yen to depreciate against its main currency peers. This process has exacerbated more recently due to an increasing policy divergence between the Bank of Japan and other main central banks, which have opted to increase interest rates sharply to fight decades-high levels of inflation.
The BoJ’s stance of sticking to ultra-loose monetary policy has led to a widening policy divergence with other central banks, particularly with the US Federal Reserve. This supports a widening of the differential between the 10-year US and Japanese bonds, which favors the US Dollar against the Japanese Yen.
The Japanese Yen is often seen as a safe-haven investment. This means that in times of market stress, investors are more likely to put their money in the Japanese currency due to its supposed reliability and stability. Turbulent times are likely to strengthen the Yen’s value against other currencies seen as more risky to invest in.
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
AUD/USD looks at the Fed for near-term direction
AUD/USD managed well to maintain its positive bias on Tuesday despite the decent recovery in the Greenback as market participants largely anticipated the start of the Fed’s easing cycle on Wednesday.
EUR/USD keeps its bullish stance unchanged
Despite Tuesday’s corrective decline, EUR/USD remained poised to extend its upside impulse in the short term, as investors continued to expect the Fed to reduce its interest rates by 50 bps at its September 18 meeting.
Gold under mild pressure near $2,560
Gold stays under modest bearish pressure on Tuesday and trades below $2,580. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield holds steady above 3.6% ahead of the Fed's policy announcements on Wednesday, making it difficult for XAU/USD to gather bullish momentum.
XRP eyes return above $0.60 with pro-crypto attorney lending support to Ripple investors for their losses
Ripple (XRP) holds steady above $0.5800, an important support level for the asset on Tuesday. The altcoin gears up for recovery likely in response to positive developments in the project. XRP trades at $0.5860 at the time of writing.
Why the Fed is set to cut interest rates and what does that mean Premium
The Fed is expected to cut interest rates on Wednesday. This is a crucial event as it directly affects families and businesses in the United States (US) – but also abroad given the importance of the US as the world’s largest economy.
Moneta Markets review 2024: All you need to know
VERIFIED In this review, the FXStreet team provides an independent and thorough analysis based on direct testing and real experiences with Moneta Markets – an excellent broker for novice to intermediate forex traders who want to broaden their knowledge base.