Japanese Yen remains pinned near 40-year low as Fed-BoJ rate gap keeps carry trade active
- USD/JPY consolidates the previous day’s strong gains amid looming intervention risks.
- The wide US-Japan rate differential holds back the JPY bulls from placing aggressive bets.
- US-Iran tensions and Fed rate hike expectations favor USD bulls, supporting spot prices.
The USD/JPY pair edges lower on Friday as bulls turn cautious in anticipation of a potential government intervention to prop up the Japanese Yen (JPY). Nevertheless, spot prices remain within striking distance of the four-decade high, touched on Thursday, and the 164.00 mark amid a supportive fundamental backdrop.
A stark contrast in monetary policy between Japan and the rest of the world keeps the so-called carry trade active, which might continue to undermine the JPY. Despite the recent Bank of Japan (BoJ) rate hike to 1%, or the highest since 1995, borrowing costs in Japan remain exceptionally low relative to other major economies, including the US. Furthermore, economic risks stemming from energy supply disruptions due to the Middle East conflict contributed to the JPY's relative underperformance.
The US military announced that it has completed another round of strikes against Iran on Thursday, marking the 13th straight night of operations. Meanwhile, Iran and its allies launched retaliatory strikes against US-linked military assets in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. Adding to this, Iran-aligned Houthis extended the Middle East war to a second major shipping chokepoint and struck two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, describing the action as part of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia.
This comes on top of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and further exacerbates supply disruption concerns, lifting crude oil prices to a fresh high since June 11 on Thursday. Investors remain worried that elevated energy prices will rekindle inflationary pressure and force major central banks, including the US Federal Reserve (Fed), to adopt a more hawkish stance. Moreover, data showed on Thursday that US Jobless Claims fell to the lowest level since September 1969, pointing to a resilient labor market.
This reaffirmed market expectations that the US central bank will raise borrowing costs by the end of this year, which favors the US Dollar (USD) bulls and backs the case for the emergence of dip-buying around the USD/JPY pair. Traders, however, seem hesitant and opt to move to the sidelines ahead of the highly anticipated FOMC policy meeting next week. Nevertheless, spot prices remain on track to register strong weekly gains for the third straight week and seem poised to climb further.
Japanese Yen Price This week
The table below shows the percentage change of Japanese Yen (JPY) against listed major currencies this week. Japanese Yen was the strongest against the Swiss Franc.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.39% | 0.99% | 0.87% | 0.45% | -0.33% | 0.83% | 0.99% | |
| EUR | -0.39% | 0.61% | 0.43% | 0.06% | -0.71% | 0.44% | 0.59% | |
| GBP | -0.99% | -0.61% | -0.17% | -0.54% | -1.30% | -0.16% | 0.03% | |
| JPY | -0.87% | -0.43% | 0.17% | -0.32% | -1.14% | -0.09% | 0.22% | |
| CAD | -0.45% | -0.06% | 0.54% | 0.32% | -0.74% | 0.24% | 0.58% | |
| AUD | 0.33% | 0.71% | 1.30% | 1.14% | 0.74% | 1.16% | 1.35% | |
| NZD | -0.83% | -0.44% | 0.16% | 0.09% | -0.24% | -1.16% | 0.20% | |
| CHF | -0.99% | -0.59% | -0.03% | -0.22% | -0.58% | -1.35% | -0.20% |
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).
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