• English
  • 简体中文
  • 繁體中文
  • Tiếng Việt
  • ไทย
  • Indonesia
Subscribe
Real-time News
August 24th - This week, bond investors will be closely watching Federal Reserve Chairman Warshs speech in Jackson Hole. The market is seeking his response to persistent inflation and fiscal issues, and long-term Treasury bonds may face further sell-off risks. Warsh has rarely provided forward-looking policy guidance since taking office in May. His speech following the last monetary policy meeting triggered a massive sell-off in the bond market, highlighting the markets high sensitivity to his speech on Friday. Molly Brooks, U.S. interest rate strategist at TD Securities, said, "I think if he continues to not provide more information, the market will be disappointed, which could further exacerbate the recent sell-off in long-term Treasury bonds." Kathy Bostjancic, chief economist at National Mutual Insurance, said that factors continuing to weigh on the bond market remain, including fiscal concerns, inflation, and market uncertainty about the Feds response. Dhiraj Narula, interest rate strategist at HSBC, said this provides Warsh with an opportunity to reassure investors by clarifying his policy outlook. He said, "In our view, if Chairman Warsh can make some judgments about potential inflationary pressures, it could be enough to reduce the term premium associated with uncertainty."On August 24th, the UKs Office for Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that commercial shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz continued to decline over the past 48 hours, with shipping activity suppressed and the number of vessels passing through in both directions in single digits. The UKMTO report stated that no confirmed attacks or interference incidents were detected, but noted that Iranian threats and harassment activities persist, including drone overflights, targeted surveillance of merchant ships, and occasional VHF radio calls. These actions "continue to demonstrate Irans intention to maintain a presence along key shipping lanes and to continue to exert pressure on transit vessels." Meanwhile, the UKMTO stated that commercial traffic in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has also "continued to decline" following the Houthi blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20th.The UK Maritime Trade Operations Office (UKMTO) stated that shipping traffic in both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has declined.On August 24, Canadian Ambassador to the United States Mark Wiseman stated that trade negotiations between Canada and the US broke down on the evening of August 22 due to multiple issues, including discrepancies between the written text of a potential agreement and what Canada believed to be the consensus reached between the two sides. In an interview on August 23, Wiseman said that no single issue led to the failure of the negotiations. The breakdown in negotiations subsequently triggered a new round of tariffs and could further escalate the Canada-US trade dispute.Iraqi Prime Ministers Security Advisor: We have proposed to Iran and Saudi Arabia the establishment of a unified security coordination committee.

The USD/JPY Currency Pair Swings in a 60-Pip Range as Bulls Reclaim 124.00 on a Positive Note

Drake Hampton

Apr 08, 2022 10:07

Tips

  • The USD/JPY is up 1.26 percent this week.

  • The greenback strengthens as investors shrug off geopolitical concerns.

  • Forecast for the USD/JPY Exchange Rate: As bulls, we are leaning upward and are aiming for the YTD high of 125.10.

 

As the Asian Pacific session opens, USD/JPY pair extends its weekly gains on broad US dollar strength. The USD/JPY remains strong at 124.15, after trading in a tight 55-pip range over the last three days as the Eastern Europe conflict between Russia and Ukraine enters its sixth day.

 

Asian market futures continue to trade higher, despite the ongoing Russia-Ukraine confrontation. Contrary to the positive tone of Asian market futures, which point to a stronger open, US equities concluded the afternoon in a divided mood. Investors shrugged aside Russia-Ukraine tensions on Thursday, despite Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's complaint that Ukraine's new draft accord submitted to Russia does not meet Russia's demands on Crimea and Donbas. Meanwhile, recent reports indicate that Russia is regrouping soldiers in preparation for another offensive aimed at reclaiming Ukraine's eastern territories, Donetsk and Luhansk.

 

The North American session on Thursday featured Fed speakers, lead by St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, who stated that the Fed is still behind the curve in its efforts to contain inflation. Bullard said that by the second half of the year, he would like to see the Federal Funds Rate (FFR) at 3.5 percent.

 

Later that day, Chicago Fed President Charles Evans indicated that "we (the Fed) will reach neutral by the end of this year or early next."

 

On the Japanese docket, the Current Account for February and Consumer Confidence for March would be the headline economic data releases. On the US front, Wholesale Inventories for February will be released on a monthly basis. 

USD/JPY Forecast: Technical Analysis

The USD/JPY continues bullish, but the average daily range (ADR) has been 55 pips during the last three days. Daily moving averages (DMAs) below the spot price further reinforce the uptrend, and it's worth noting that the 100-DMA at 109.48 is on the verge of crossing over the 200-DMA at 109.60.

 

With that considered, the first resistance level for the USD/JPY would be 124.00. If the latter is breached, the March 29 daily high of 124.30 will be revealed, followed by the year-to-date high of 125.10.


image.png