Euro tumbles against Japanese Yen amid fears of another US-Japan joint intervention
- The Euro tumbles to near 184.66 against the Japanese Yen as the latter outperforms.
- US-Japan joint intervention prospects have accelerated after the Katayama-Bessent meeting.
- Both the ECB and the BoJ are expected to raise interest rates this month.
The Euro (EUR) is sharply down at around 184.66 against the Japanese Yen (JPY) during the European trading session on Wednesday. The cross faces intense selling pressure as the Japanese currency outperforms on fresh expectations that the United States (US) and Japan will jointly intervene again.
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 | 0.16% | 0.09% | -0.27% | 0.21% | 0.01% | 0.93% | 0.19% | |
| EUR | -0.16% | -0.08% | -0.44% | 0.05% | -0.14% | 0.77% | 0.03% | |
| GBP | -0.09% | 0.08% | -0.37% | 0.13% | -0.07% | 0.80% | 0.11% | |
| JPY | 0.27% | 0.44% | 0.37% | 0.48% | 0.28% | 1.17% | 0.46% | |
| CAD | -0.21% | -0.05% | -0.13% | -0.48% | -0.20% | 0.69% | -0.02% | |
| AUD | -0.01% | 0.14% | 0.07% | -0.28% | 0.20% | 0.89% | 0.20% | |
| NZD | -0.93% | -0.77% | -0.80% | -1.17% | -0.69% | -0.89% | -0.69% | |
| CHF | -0.19% | -0.03% | -0.11% | -0.46% | 0.02% | -0.20% | 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).
In late July, Japan’s Ministry of Finance (MoF) confirmed US-Japan joint intervention to counter excessive volatility.
Fresh US-Japan intervention prospects have been prompted by comments from Japan Finance Minister (FM) Satsuki Katayama that she met with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and agreed that “orderly yen movements are critical for global market stability”.
On the monetary policy front, financial markets seem confident that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will raise interest rates in the policy meeting this month. Analysts at MUFG highlight that markets are already assigning a "92% chance of a September rate hike by BoJ”.
Strategists also believe that the focus for investors is shifting beyond the immediate decision. They argue that "what matters more may not just be the September meeting but also communication about the whole path of rate hikes in upcoming BoJ meetings," underscoring that guidance on the sequencing and pace of future tightening is likely to be a key driver of Yen and JGB sentiment.
Meanwhile, the Euro trades marginally lower even as hot Eurozone inflation data for August has prompted expectations of European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate hike this month.
Commerzbank argues that “the renewed surge in the inflation rate above 3% is likely to ensure that the ECB raises interest rates in September”. However, the bank acknowledged that “overall, the data point to some moderation in economic and labour market momentum”.
Central banks FAQs
Central Banks have a key mandate which is making sure that there is price stability in a country or region. Economies are constantly facing inflation or deflation when prices for certain goods and services are fluctuating. Constant rising prices for the same goods means inflation, constant lowered prices for the same goods means deflation. It is the task of the central bank to keep the demand in line by tweaking its policy rate. For the biggest central banks like the US Federal Reserve (Fed), the European Central Bank (ECB) or the Bank of England (BoE), the mandate is to keep inflation close to 2%.
A central bank has one important tool at its disposal to get inflation higher or lower, and that is by tweaking its benchmark policy rate, commonly known as interest rate. On pre-communicated moments, the central bank will issue a statement with its policy rate and provide additional reasoning on why it is either remaining or changing (cutting or hiking) it. Local banks will adjust their savings and lending rates accordingly, which in turn will make it either harder or easier for people to earn on their savings or for companies to take out loans and make investments in their businesses. When the central bank hikes interest rates substantially, this is called monetary tightening. When it is cutting its benchmark rate, it is called monetary easing.
A central bank is often politically independent. Members of the central bank policy board are passing through a series of panels and hearings before being appointed to a policy board seat. Each member in that board often has a certain conviction on how the central bank should control inflation and the subsequent monetary policy. Members that want a very loose monetary policy, with low rates and cheap lending, to boost the economy substantially while being content to see inflation slightly above 2%, are called ‘doves’. Members that rather want to see higher rates to reward savings and want to keep a lit on inflation at all time are called ‘hawks’ and will not rest until inflation is at or just below 2%.
Normally, there is a chairman or president who leads each meeting, needs to create a consensus between the hawks or doves and has his or her final say when it would come down to a vote split to avoid a 50-50 tie on whether the current policy should be adjusted. The chairman will deliver speeches which often can be followed live, where the current monetary stance and outlook is being communicated. A central bank will try to push forward its monetary policy without triggering violent swings in rates, equities, or its currency. All members of the central bank will channel their stance toward the markets in advance of a policy meeting event. A few days before a policy meeting takes place until the new policy has been communicated, members are forbidden to talk publicly. This is called the blackout period.
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