|

USD/JPY briefly tests above 146.00 post-CPI, fades back to flat on the day

  • The US Dollar broadly climbed on Thursday after US CPI inflation broadly beat the street.
  • US Initial Jobless Claims also improved, US labor market looking stubbornly firm.
  • Japan Current Account, US PPI still due for Friday.

The USD/JPY climbed early in Thursday’s US market session after US Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation numbers broadly beat market forecasts, with inflation stepping higher in December and completely swamping out market hopes for signs that rate cuts would be impending soon.

US CPI inflation climbs to 3.4% in December vs. 3.2% expected

US headline CPI inflation for the year ended December came in at 3.4% versus the market forecast of 3.2%, handily climbing over the previous period’s 3.1. December’s MoM CPI came in higher than expected at 0.3% versus the forecast 0.2%, and climbing further over November’s 0.1% print.

US Initial Jobless Claims for the week ended January 5 also came in better than expected, printing at 202K versus the anticipated 210K, though the previous week did see a slight upside revision to 203K  (pre-revision 202K).

The US Dollar (USD) caught a broad-market bid after the CPI inflation print as market hopes of impending rate cuts from the Federal Reserve dashed on the rocks of rising inflation metrics. Many investors were hoping for inflation to cool at least enough to keep the dream of a March rate cut alive, with money markets pricing in a 60% chance of a March rate cut as recently as yesterday.

The week isn’t over yet, and the USD/JPY still has to grapple with Japanese Trade Balance and Current Account figures due early Friday, while US producer-facing inflation will be printing tomorrow. The US Producer Price Index (PPI) for December is expected to tick slightly higher from 0.0% to 0.1%, while annualized Core PPI for the year ended December is expected to clip lower from 2.0% to 1.9%.

USD/JPY Technical Outlook

The USD/JPY rose to a near-term high of 146.41 before falling back into Thursday’s intraday levels with the US Dollar getting driven higher against the already-softening Japanese Yen (JPY). With the USD/JPY continuing to test higher, the 200-hour Simple Moving Average (SMA) is set to continue climbing through the 144.00 handle, building out an intraday technical floor.

Daily candlesticks have the USD/JPY running into near-term technical resistance at the 50-day SMA descending into 146.00, and prices are caught on the topside of the 200-day SMA approaching 144.00, with USD/JPY caught in the congestion zone of the two moving averages.

USD/JPY Hourly Chart

USD/JPY Daily Chart

USD/JPY Technical Levels

USD/JPY

Overview
Today last price145.71
Today Daily Change-0.09
Today Daily Change %-0.06
Today daily open145.8
 
Trends
Daily SMA20142.92
Daily SMA50146.31
Daily SMA100147.4
Daily SMA200143.5
 
Levels
Previous Daily High145.84
Previous Daily Low144.32
Previous Weekly High145.98
Previous Weekly Low140.81
Previous Monthly High148.35
Previous Monthly Low140.25
Daily Fibonacci 38.2%145.26
Daily Fibonacci 61.8%144.9
Daily Pivot Point S1144.81
Daily Pivot Point S2143.81
Daily Pivot Point S3143.29
Daily Pivot Point R1146.32
Daily Pivot Point R2146.83
Daily Pivot Point R3147.83

Author

Joshua Gibson

Joshua joins the FXStreet team as an Economics and Finance double major from Vancouver Island University with twelve years' experience as an independent trader focusing on technical analysis.

More from Joshua Gibson
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 stays defensive below 1.1750 as USD finds its feet

EUR/USD kicks off the new week on a softer note, holding below 1.1750 in European trading on Monday. The pair faces challenges due to a pause in the US Dollar downtrend, with traders shifting their focus to the delayed US Nonfarm Payrolls and CPI data for fresh directives. The ECB policy decision is also eagerly awaited. 

GBP/USD holds steady above 1.3350 as traders await key data and BoE

GBP/USD remains on the back foot above 1.3350 in the European session on Monday, though it lacks bearish conviction and holds above the key 200-day SMA support. The US Dollar holds its recovery mode ahead of key data releases, while the Pound Sterling faces headwinds from the expected BoE rate cut this week. 

Gold climbs to seven-week highs on Fed rate cut bets, safe-haven demand

Gold price rises to seven-week highs to near $4,350 during the early European trading hours on Monday. The precious metal extends its upside amid the prospect of interest rate cuts by the US Fed next year. Lower interest rates could reduce the opportunity cost of holding Gold, supporting the non-yielding precious metal.

Solana consolidates as spot ETF inflows near $1 billion signal institutional dip-buying

Solana price hovers above $131 at the time of writing on Monday, nearing the upper boundary of a falling wedge pattern, awaiting a decisive breakout. On the institutional side, demand for spot Solana Exchange-Traded Funds remained firm, pushing total assets under management to nearly $1 billion since launch. 

Big week ends with big doubts

The S&P 500 continued to push higher yesterday as the US 2-year yield wavered around the 3.50% mark following a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut earlier this week that was ultimately perceived as not that hawkish after all. The cut is especially boosting the non-tech pockets of the market.

Solana Price Forecast: SOL consolidates as spot ETF inflows near $1 billion signal institutional dip-buying

Solana (SOL) price hovers above $131 at the time of writing on Monday, nearing the upper boundary of a falling wedge pattern, awaiting a decisive breakout.