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 Fed Is Right—It's Too Early to Cut Rates (I Expect a Decline in #SPX and an Increase in Gold Prices)

The fresh U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released on Wednesday, although below the consensus forecast, confirmed the persistence of inflationary pressure. This fully justifies the Federal Reserve's reluctance

Pati Gani 10:37 2025-06-12 UTC+2

Trump Threatens Tariffs Again – Markets React

President Donald Trump announced yesterday that he intends to send letters to trade partners within the next one to two weeks outlining unilateral tariff rates. This is ahead

Jakub Novak 09:10 2025-06-12 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on June 12? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

A significant number of macroeconomic reports are set for Thursday, but only a few are truly important. The key reports to highlight are the GDP and industrial production data from

Paolo Greco 05:52 2025-06-12 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview – June 12: Protests Against Trump and Fed Policy

The GBP/USD currency pair continued to trade very calmly on Wednesday. Naturally, when U.S. inflation data was released, we saw a brief burst of market reaction—though it didn't last long

Paolo Greco 04:07 2025-06-12 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview – June 12: Is There Light at the End of the Tunnel?

The EUR/USD currency pair continued to trade very calmly throughout Wednesday. The market showed no reaction whatsoever to the seemingly positive news regarding U.S.-China trade negotiations. Why? Because that positivity

Paolo Greco 04:07 2025-06-12 UTC+2

Donald Trump Plans to Suppress the Uprising

For several consecutive days, protests and unrest have continued in some major U.S. cities, sparked by Donald Trump's new immigration policy. This time, the U.S. President has decided to deport

Chin Zhao 00:35 2025-06-12 UTC+2

EUR/USD. In the Shadow of the Trade Deal: U.S. Inflation Report Pressures the Greenback

A mixed U.S. inflation report pressured the greenback. The dollar index returned to 98.00, while the EUR/USD pair refreshed its weekly high, rising to 1.1491. Additional pressure on the U.S

Irina Manzenko 00:35 2025-06-12 UTC+2

Will the Dollar Maintain the Status Quo?

To make accurate predictions about the future, one must examine the past. The more than 10% rally in EUR/USD since the beginning of the year has been driven by four

Marek Petkovich 00:35 2025-06-12 UTC+2

XAU/USD. Analysis and Forecast

Currently, the price of gold remains confined within a weekly range. The key factors supporting price growth include a decision by the U.S. federal appellate court to uphold President Donald

Irina Yanina 18:35 2025-06-11 UTC+2

USD/JPY. Analysis and Forecast

At this stage, the Japanese yen continues to trade within an intraday consolidation range, approaching the two-week low against the U.S. dollar reached yesterday. The main factors influencing the movement

Irina Yanina 18:33 2025-06-11 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.