- USD/JPY gains to near 149.00 as the US Dollar strengthens after the dust settles from the Fed’s monetary policy.
- The Fed sees an “unusually elevated” US economic uncertainty due to new economic policies by President Trump.
- The BoJ and the Fed left interest rates steady on Wednesday.
The USD/JPY pair moves higher to near 149.00 in North American trading hours on Thursday. The pair gains as the US Dollar (USD) rallies sharply in the aftermath of the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy outcome. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, jumps to near 104.00 after attracting significant bids near the five-month low of 103.20.
On Wednesday, the Fed kept interest rates unchanged in the range of 4.25%-4.50%, as expected, for the second time in a row. The central bank also maintained its forecast of two interest rate cuts this year. Fed Chair Jerome Powell stated that the central bank is not in a hurry to cut interest rates as the uncertainty is “unusually elevated” amid the implementation of new policies by the new administration.
Jerome Powell added that tariff policies by President Donald Trump could slow down the growth rate and accelerate inflationary pressures.
On the economic data front, Initial Jobless Claims for the week ending March 14 come in at 223K, almost in line with estimates and the former release.
Though investors have underpinned the US Dollar against the Japanese Yen (JPY), it is outperforming against other peers amid an uncertain market mood. Market sentiment seems unfavorable for risky currencies as President Trump is poised to introduce reciprocal tariffs on April 2, which would result in a sharp slowdown in global economic growth.
Japanese Yen PRICE Today
The table below shows the percentage change of Japanese Yen (JPY) against listed major currencies today. Japanese Yen was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.69% | 0.34% | 0.09% | 0.22% | 1.16% | 1.35% | 0.68% | |
| EUR | -0.69% | -0.35% | -0.58% | -0.46% | 0.46% | 0.66% | -0.01% | |
| GBP | -0.34% | 0.35% | -0.23% | -0.13% | 0.81% | 1.02% | 0.35% | |
| JPY | -0.09% | 0.58% | 0.23% | 0.11% | 1.05% | 1.23% | 0.66% | |
| CAD | -0.22% | 0.46% | 0.13% | -0.11% | 0.94% | 1.13% | 0.46% | |
| AUD | -1.16% | -0.46% | -0.81% | -1.05% | -0.94% | 0.20% | -0.46% | |
| NZD | -1.35% | -0.66% | -1.02% | -1.23% | -1.13% | -0.20% | -0.69% | |
| CHF | -0.68% | 0.00% | -0.35% | -0.66% | -0.46% | 0.46% | 0.69% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Japanese Yen from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent JPY (base)/USD (quote).
Domestically, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) kept interest rates unchanged at 0.5% on Wednesday and guided that uncertainty surrounding Japan's economy and prices remain high.
US Dollar FAQs
The US Dollar (USD) is the official currency of the United States of America, and the ‘de facto’ currency of a significant number of other countries where it is found in circulation alongside local notes. It is the most heavily traded currency in the world, accounting for over 88% of all global foreign exchange turnover, or an average of $6.6 trillion in transactions per day, according to data from 2022. Following the second world war, the USD took over from the British Pound as the world’s reserve currency. For most of its history, the US Dollar was backed by Gold, until the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1971 when the Gold Standard went away.
The most important single factor impacting on the value of the US Dollar is monetary policy, which is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability (control inflation) and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these two goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, the Fed will raise rates, which helps the USD value. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates, which weighs on the Greenback.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve can also print more Dollars and enact quantitative easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used when credit has dried up because banks will not lend to each other (out of the fear of counterparty default). It is a last resort when simply lowering interest rates is unlikely to achieve the necessary result. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice to combat the credit crunch that occurred during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy US government bonds predominantly from financial institutions. QE usually leads to a weaker US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing in new purchases. It is usually positive for the US Dollar.
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