- USD/JPY climbs 0.14%, rebounding from a low of 160.77.
- Resistance levels: 161.95 (July 3 high), 162.00, 164.87 (Nov 1986 high).
- Support levels: 161.00, 160.35 (Tenkan-Sen), 159.30 (Senkou Span A), 158.25 (Kijun-Sen).
The USD/JPY pair finished Wednesday's session with minuscule gains of 0.14% after dipping to a daily low of 160.77, sponsored by traders increasing bets that the Federal Reserve might cut rates in 2024, following dismal data revealed during the day. At the time of writing, the major trades at 161.62.
USD/JPY Price Analysis: Technical outlook
The uptrend remains intact in the USD/JPY pair amid increasing risks that Japanese authorities or the Bank of Japan could intervene in the FX markets. The major continues to advance steadily and trades at multi-year highs, with buyers eyeing a test of the 162.00 psychological level.
Momentum remains on the buyers' side, as depicted by the Relative Strength Index (RSI), which has turned overbought, but it doesn’t show signs of aiming lower. That said, the path of least resistance is skewed to the upside.
Resistance lies at the July 3 high of 161.95. Once cleared, the next stop would be 162.00, ahead of the challenging November 1986 high of 164.87. On further USD/JPY weakness, the first support would be 161.00, immediately followed by the Tenkan-Sen at 160.35. A breach of the latter can exacerbate a pullback toward the Senkou Span A at 159.30, followed by the Kijun-Sen at 158.25.
USD/JPY Price Action – Daily Chart
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 stands tall just below its highest level since January touched on Wednesday
The AUD/USD pair holds above the 0.6700 mark during the Asian session on Thursday. The Australian Dollar continues to draw support from the upbeat domestic Retail Sales data released on Wednesday, which strengthened the case for a rate hike by the Reserve Bank of Australia.
EUR/USD lurches higher after US data dumps Greenback
EUR/USD found a leg up on Wednesday, climbing briefly above the 1.0800 handle after a broad miss in US economic figures hinted at further signs of a weakening US economy, sparking fresh hopes for an accelerated pace of rate cuts from the Federal Reserve and markets flowing out of the safe haven US Dollar.
Gold reaches $2,360 on broad USD weakness
Gold gathers bullish momentum and trades at its highest level in nearly two weeks above $2,360. Following the disappointing ADP Employment Change and ISM Services PMI data from the US, the 10-year US yield declines sharply, helping XAU/USD extend its daily rally.
PolitiFi meme coins surge as Biden support lowers
Several political meme coins related to Vice President Kamala Harris rallied on Wednesday as prediction market odds favor her as the preferred Democrat nominee in the upcoming US presidential race.
Could the post-UK elections market moves resemble 1997 and 2010?
Thursday's UK elections expected to bring political change. Similar developments in both 1997 and 2010 weighed on the Pound. History points to a significant easing in Pound volatility across the board. Recent FTSE 100 performance matches the 2015 pre-election moves.