empty
08.11.2024 10:56 AM
Chances for Another Wave of Yen Strength Are Becoming Increasingly Slim

A deep-seated fear of a return to prolonged deflation looms within Japanese society—a challenge that both the government and the Bank of Japan have struggled to overcome for decades. The idea of postponing a rate hike by the BOJ until at least the spring of next year is gaining traction. Recent proponents of this pause include BOJ board member Adachi, Yuichiro Tamaki (leader of the increasingly popular Democratic Party for the People, which quadrupled its representation in the lower house elections on October 27), and other influential figures.

This image is no longer relevant

The reasoning is straightforward: wage increases in the spring of 2024 were a significant factor in the BOJ's decision to begin exiting its negative interest rate policy. However, there's no guarantee that similar wage growth will occur in the spring of 2025. Observers argue that waiting for the outcome is prudent before considering another rate hike. This year's wage growth has been the highest since 1997, yet real household incomes continue to fall due to high inflation—declining by 1.9% year-over-year in August. Raising rates amid falling real incomes could severely impact consumption, GDP, and overall spending, potentially ushering in deflation—or worse, stagflation, a nightmare scenario for any government.

Such an approach is unlikely to support yen appreciation, especially as the Federal Reserve's policy recalibration gains attention following Trump's victory. Yesterday, the FOMC predictably cut rates by a quarter point, and futures now project only four additional cuts through the end of 2025, bringing the rate to 4%. This indicates a strong dollar, aligning with Trump's campaign rhetoric favoring a robust U.S. currency, which signals higher yields.

The markets will likely remain volatile in the near term, with headline-making announcements and personnel changes adding to the turbulence. However, the yen's prospects look weak. The factors that fueled its remarkable strength from July to September are no longer in play.

The yen maintained a bullish bias for just 11 weeks. As of the latest reporting period, this phase has ended, with a weekly change of -$3.1 billion, leading to a net short position of $2.0 billion. The yen and the euro are now competing in terms of sell-off momentum, with both currencies currently appearing weak against the dollar.

This image is no longer relevant

Last week, we anticipated sustained yen depreciation, which materialized. Following the announcement of the U.S. presidential election results, USD/JPY surged to 154.71, with only a shallow pullback afterward. Realistically, few reasons exist to expect a reversal in the yen's trajectory. The likely scenario is continued growth toward the multi-year high 161.79, set in July. The only potential obstacle to this upward trend would be an unexpected surge in demand for safe-haven assets—an unlikely scenario in the current environment.

Kuvat Raharjo,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
Select timeframe
5
min
15
min
30
min
1
hour
4
hours
1
day
1
week
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

The Dollar and Stock Market Crash Continues (AUD/USD May Keep Rising While USD/JPY Declines Further)

While Europe and parts of Asia continue celebrating Easter and political life has temporarily paused, in the U.S., the "Make America Great Again" trend set by Donald Trump continues

Pati Gani 09:04 2025-04-21 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on April 21? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

No macroeconomic events are scheduled for Monday—not in the U.S., the Eurozone, Germany, or the U.K. Therefore, even if the market was paying attention to the macroeconomic backdrop, today, there

Paolo Greco 06:30 2025-04-21 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – April 21: The Inertial Growth Continues

The GBP/USD currency pair continued its upward movement on Friday. If we had seen such price action away from peak levels, there would have been no questions. In essence

Paolo Greco 04:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – April 21: The Market Sleeps, Only Trump Can Wake It Up

On Friday, the EUR/USD currency pair made no notable movements whatsoever. This was unsurprising, as Friday marked Good Friday, and Sunday was Easter. Many banks and trading venues were closed

Paolo Greco 04:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

US Dollar: Weekly Preview

Is there light at the end of the tunnel? The US dollar will again try to answer that question in the new week. To briefly recap: over the past

Chin Zhao 01:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

British Pound: Weekly Preview

Several fairly interesting reports were released in the UK, but they almost did not impact market participants' actions. Demand for the British pound increased on all five days except

Chin Zhao 01:01 2025-04-21 UTC+2

Euro: Weekly Preview

There were very few changes regarding the euro last week. We observed horizontal movement for most of the week, which naturally did not affect the current wave markup. I want

Chin Zhao 01:00 2025-04-21 UTC+2

Trump targets Powell

Yesterday, US President Donald Trump stated that he could dismiss Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, casting doubt on the idea of central bank independence. He also expressed frustration that policymakers

Jakub Novak 14:42 2025-04-18 UTC+2

EU increases pressure on US

The entire world is now watching the ongoing negotiations between the US and its key trading partners. Despite President Trump's loud claims that the talks are going well, there

Jakub Novak 14:04 2025-04-18 UTC+2

The Market Taken Hostage

Will the White House cross the Rubicon by initiating the dismissal of Jerome Powell from his position as Chair of the Federal Reserve? That would deal another blow to financial

Marek Petkovich 09:16 2025-04-18 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.