- AUD/JPY gains traction to near 113.85 in Tuesday’s early European session.
- The cross maintains a constructive tone above the 100-day SMA, with bullish RSI momentum.
- The immediate resistance level emerges at 114.10; the first downside target to watch is 113.10.
The AUD/JPY cross trades in positive territory around 113.85 during the early European session on Tuesday. The Australian Dollar (AUD) strengthens against the Japanese Yen (JPY) due to the interest rate differential between the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and the Bank of Japan (BoJ). However, fears of possible intervention from Japanese authorities might cap the upside for the cross.
After delivering three consecutive 25 basis points (bps) hikes earlier this year, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) decided to hold the Official Cash Rate (OCR) steady at 4.35% at its June policy meeting.
Economists warned that rising oil and fuel prices could cement a fourth interest rate rise this year if US President Donald Trump’s renewed conflict with Iran is not resolved within a week.
Traders have raised their bets on an RBA rate hike since airstrikes resumed last week, now pricing in nearly a 23% odds of a hike in August and more than a 50% chance by December, according to the Guardian.
Technical Analysis:
In the daily chart, AUD/JPY holds a bullish near-term bias as it remains above the 100-day simple moving average (SMA) and the Bollinger Bands’ 20-day middle band, keeping the broader uptrend intact. Price is advancing toward the Bollinger upper band, while the Relative Strength Index (14) around 60 suggests firm but not overstretched upside momentum.
On the topside, immediate resistance aligns with the Bollinger Bands’ upper band at 114.10. The next hurdle is located at the May 13 high of 114.74, en route to the 115.00 psychological level.
On the downside, initial support is seen at the July 20 low of 113.10. The next contention level to watch is the 100-day SMA at 112.75, followed by the Bollinger middle band at 112.55, with a deeper cushion coming in at the lower band near 111.05 should a corrective pullback develop.
