JPY slides further against USD; focus remains on BoJ policy update on Friday

• The Japanese Yen extends the post-FOMC decline against a broadly rebounding USD.
• The divergent BoJ-Fed outlooks should limit deeper losses for the lower-yielding JPY.
• Traders also seem reluctant ahead of the two-day BoJ meeting starting this Thursday.

The Japanese Yen (JPY) drifts lower against a broadly recovering US Dollar (USD) for the second consecutive day on Thursday, pushing the USD/JPY pair further beyond the 147.00 round figure during the Asian session. The weaker-than-expected release of Core Machinery Orders data from Japan, along with concerns that domestic political uncertainty could give the Bank of Japan (BoJ) more reasons to delay raising interest rates, seems to weigh on the JPY. Furthermore, a generally positive tone around the equity markets is seen as another factor undermining demand for the safe-haven JPY.

The JPY downtick, however, lacks strong follow-through or a bearish conviction amid the growing acceptance that the BoJ will stick to its policy normalization path. This marks a significant divergence in comparison to the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) dovish stance, signaling two more rate cuts by the year-end. The resultant narrowing of the US-Japan rate differential, in turn, should limit deeper losses for the lower-yielding JPY. Traders might also refrain from placing aggressive bets and opt to wait for the outcome of a two-day BoJ policy meeting, scheduled to be announced on Friday.

Japanese Yen underperforms against a firmer USD despite hawkish BoJ expectations

• Government data released earlier this Thursday showed that Japan’s Core Machinery Orders fell 4.6% month-over-month in July. On a yearly basis, private-sector orders eased from the 7.6% growth registered in June to 4.9% during the reported month. The readings were well below market expectations and weighed on the Japanese Yen during the Asian session.
• Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve, as was expected, lowered borrowing costs for the first time since December 2024 and indicated that more rate cuts would follow through the end of this year amid the softening labor market. The US central bank lowered its benchmark rate by 25 basis points, to the 4.00%-4.25% range, and projected two more rate cuts in 2025.
• The initial market reaction faded quickly after Fed Chair Jerome Powell, while addressing reporters at the post-meeting press conference, said that risks to inflation are tilted to the upside. This prompted an aggressive US Dollar short-covering move and assisted the USD/JPY pair to recover over 150 pips from the 145.50-145.45 area, or the lowest level since July 7.
• Any meaningful JPY depreciation, however, seems elusive in the wake of the growing conviction that the BoJ will hike interest rates this year. In fact, the recent US-Japan trade deal has removed some risks to domestic growth. Moreover, the BoJ sees the development paving the way for steady progress toward achieving the 2% inflation target.
• Furthermore, a tight labor market and optimistic economic outlook keep the door open for an imminent BoJ interest rate hike. This, along with geopolitical risks stemming from the intensifying Russia-Ukraine war and conflicts in the Middle East, might hold back traders from placing aggressive bearish bets around the safe-haven JPY and limit losses.
• The market focus now shifts to a two-day BoJ meeting, starting this Thursday. The central bank will announce its decision on Friday and is widely expected to leave interest rates unchanged. Hence, investors will look for cues about the future policy outlook, which, in turn, will play a key role in influencing the near-term JPY price dynamics.
• In the meantime, traders will take cues from Thursday’s US macro data – Weekly Initial Jobless Claims and the Philly Fed Manufacturing Index – to grab short-term opportunities later during the North American session.

USD/JPY approaches 147.40-147.50 hurdle; mixed technical setup warrants caution

Wednesday’s breakdown below the 146.30-146.20 horizontal support would now be categorized as a fakeout in the wake of the post-FOMC turnaround and the subsequent strength beyond the 147.00 mark on Thursday. However, oscillators on the daily chart are yet to confirm a positive outlook, suggesting that the USD/JPY pair is likely to confront stiff resistance near the 147.40-147.50 region. That said, a sustained strength beyond the said barrier has the potential to lift spot prices to the 148.00 mark en route to the 200-day Simple Moving Average (SMA), currently pegged near the 148.75 zone, the 149.00 mark, and the monthly high, around the 149.15 region.

On the flip side, any meaningful slide might continue to find some support near the 146.20 region ahead of the 146.00 mark. A convincing break below the latter would expose the overnight swing low, around the 145.50-145.45 region, below which the USD/JPY pair could accelerate the fall towards challenging the 145.00 psychological mark.

US Dollar Price Today

The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.

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 US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).