USD/JPY holds near 155.50 after Tokyo CPI inflation eases more than expected


  • Japan’s Tokyo CPI inflation fell below forecasts early Friday.
  • US data confounded rate-hungry investors on Thursday.
  • Markets await BoJ rate call, US PCE Price Index figures.

Japan’s Tokyo Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) inflation printed well below expectations early Friday, which will complicate the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) upcoming rate call and Monetary Policy Report, due during the Pacific market session.

Tokyo CPI inflation rose only 1.8% on an annualized basis in April, well below the previous print of 2.6%. Markets were broadly expecting Tokyo inflation to hold steady over the period.

Read more: Tokyo Consumer Price Index rises 1.8% YoY in April vs. 2.6% expected

US Gross Domestic Product (GDP) also eased faster than expected, prompting discouragement in risk appetite on Thursday. Further complicating matters, US Personal Consumption Expenditure (PCE) inflation remained stubbornly higher in the first quarter than investors hoping for Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts were hoping for. 

US PCE Price Index inflation will deliver a fine-tuned look at US inflation later Friday. US MoM Core PCE Price Index numbers for March are forecast to hold steady at 0.3%.

With the Japanese Yen (JPY) trading into multi-year lows across the board, the BoJ is expected to begin weighing market interventions. According to reporting by Nikkei, the Japanese central bank is expected to discuss intervention options to help bolster the battered Yen.

USD/JPY technical outlook

USD/JPY is trading tightly just below the 156.00 handle, hugging multi-year highs as the Yen continues to deflate. The pair is trading into 30-plus year highs, and bullish momentum is targeting all-time record bids beyond 160.00, a price level the pair hasn’t reached since 1990.

The USD/JPY pair is on pace to close bullish for a fourth consecutive month, and is up 10.4% in 2024.

USD/JPY hourly chart

USD/JPY daily chart

Share: Feed news

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


Recommended content

Editors’ Picks

AUD/USD hovers around 0.6750 amid cautious mood

AUD/USD hovers around 0.6750 amid cautious mood

AUD/USD is treading water near 0.6750 in Asian trading on Monday. The pair struggles amid a cautious market mood, as traders remain wary of the French elections. However, a subdued US Dollar cushions the Aussie's downside. 

AUD/USD News

USD/JPY drops toward 160.00 as risk aversion seeps back

USD/JPY drops toward 160.00 as risk aversion seeps back

USD/JPY is falling toward 160.00 in the  Asian session on Monday, having failed to sustain at higher levels. A softer risk tone and encouraging Japanese Labor Cash Earnings data lift the Yen, weighing negatively on the pair. 

USD/JPY News

Gold price tumbles as PBoC’s keeps Gold buying on hold

Gold price tumbles as PBoC’s keeps Gold buying on hold

Gold price attracts some sellers during the Asian session on Monday. The precious metal loses traction as the People’s Bank of China, the Chinese central bank kept Gold buying on hold for the second month in June, according to official data released on Sunday.

Gold News

Fourth straight weekly loss for BTC/USD

Fourth straight weekly loss for BTC/USD

BTC/USD remains entrenched in a corrective slide, bolstered by the Fed minutes emphasising reluctance to ease policy until confidence in the disinflation process is observed.

Read more

French election: It’s all over for Marine Le Pen, but the left weighs on the Euro

French election: It’s all over for Marine Le Pen, but the left weighs on the Euro

The deciding vote in the French Parliamentary elections closed this evening, and the exit poll suggests a shock result. The winning party is the left alliance, the popular front, which was pulled together to try and keep Le Pen’s far right National Rally party out of power. 

Read more

Forex MAJORS

Cryptocurrencies

Signatures