empty
04.07.2022 04:30 PM
Yen plays against Bank of Japan

Three decades have passed, and the story of George Soros, who made a billion dollars on a bet on the refusal of the Bank of England to maintain a fixed rate of the pound, haunts modern traders. They seriously expect to make money on the reluctance of the Bank of Japan to maintain control of the yield curve. If this happens, the USDJPY pair is in danger of diving into the abyss, like the sterling in 1992. But the bet can play! Not so long ago, in 2015, the Swiss National Bank enriched the EURCHF bears by refusing to support the 1.2 level. Why not follow a similar path for BoJ?

Certainly, a move away from yield curve targeting by the Bank of Japan looks unlikely. Even though CPI is above 2%, the core CPI is still very far from the target. It is growing at a modest 0.8%. The upward trend in inflation looks very weak. For a stable fixation above the target, a constant increase in wages by 3% or more is required. The last time this happened was 30 years ago, and it is still unclear how that history can repeat itself.

The BoJ does not pay attention to the Fed and other rival central banks actively tightening monetary policy. It continues to use monetary incentives and maintain the yield of 10-year Japanese bonds near zero. Given the global trends of accelerating inflation, this requires more and more effort. In June, Haruhiko Kuroda and his colleagues spent a record £16 trillion to keep debt rates at 0.25%.

Dynamics of purchases of bonds by the Bank of Japan

This image is no longer relevant

The divergence in the monetary policy of the Fed and the Bank of Japan has weakened the yen by almost 18% in 2022, and many large companies continue to predict a continuation of the USDJPY bull banquet. In particular, Credit Suisse and JPMorgan see the pair at 138 and 140, respectively, within three months, while Brown Brothers is looking to test the August 1998 high at 147.65.

Yes, the BoJ has little reason to abandon the ultra-loose monetary policy, it spends a lot of money to maintain control over the yield curve. However, both the Bank of England in 1992 and the Swiss National Bank in 2015 also clung to previously established benchmarks. And in the same way, they untied their wallets to keep them. History repeats itself, and hedge funds believe it. Over the past five weeks, they have been cutting speculative net yen shorts despite the USDJPY rally.

Dynamics of USDJPY and speculative positions on the yen

This image is no longer relevant

This image is no longer relevant

In my opinion, the analyzed pair is ripe for a correction, but the reasons for the pullback should be sought not in Asia, but in North America. Slowing inflation in the US and fears of a recession in the US economy lead to a decrease in the yield of treasury bonds and the repatriation of capital to their homeland by Japanese investors due to the decline in the attractiveness of foreign assets.

Technically, the USDJPY bulls' inability to gain a foothold above fair value at 135 is a sign of their weakness. Drawdown of quotes below 134.7 should be used for selling.

Marek Petkovich,
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

AUD/USD: Analysis and Forecast

The AUD/USD pair continues its sideways consolidation, remaining within a familiar range near the key psychological level of 0.6300. This movement is driven by several factors impacting global market sentiment

Irina Yanina 11:16 2025-03-28 UTC+2

EUR/USD. Analysis and Forecast

Today, the EUR/USD pair is consolidating near the key psychological level of 1.0800, showing no intention of retreating below 1.0780 as traders and investors await the release of the U.S

Irina Yanina 10:45 2025-03-28 UTC+2

Markets at a Crossroads Ahead of Tariff Announcement by D. Trump (Possible Decline in CFD Contracts on #SPX and #NDX Futures)

Markets are now fully convinced that the U.S. President will follow through on his plans to implement severe customs tariffs aimed at closing the domestic market and, in doing

Pati Gani 10:39 2025-03-28 UTC+2

Markets Have Found the Culprits

If you don't get it the first time, you will the second. The S&P 500 sell-off, led by U.S. and foreign automaker shares, continued a second day after the imposition

Marek Petkovich 08:19 2025-03-28 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on March 28? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

A fair number of macroeconomic events are scheduled for Friday, but we believe they will likely trigger only a localized market reaction. The UK will publish Q4 GDP data

Paolo Greco 06:26 2025-03-28 UTC+2

GBP/USD Pair Overview – March 28: The Pound Barely Fell Before Rising Again

The GBP/USD currency pair traded higher again on Thursday, even though a semblance of a downward correction had begun just a few days earlier. The market had already digested

Paolo Greco 03:00 2025-03-28 UTC+2

EUR/USD Pair Overview – March 28: Donald Trump Loves Surprises

The EUR/USD currency pair maintained its downward bias on Thursday, although it traded higher throughout the day. Volatility remained low once again, indicating weak market activity. However, traders had enough

Paolo Greco 03:00 2025-03-28 UTC+2

EUR/USD. Trump Sends the Dollar into Knockdown Again

The EUR/USD pair is experiencing a correction following Donald Trump's latest statements, as he has once again reignited the tariff war. Interestingly, the greenback initially reacted positively to the president's

Irina Manzenko 23:44 2025-03-27 UTC+2

Gold Knows the Path to Victory

Gold was not a market favorite following Donald Trump's victory in the November elections. In fact, it pulled back once the red wave became clear and the Republican's return

Marek Petkovich 10:55 2025-03-27 UTC+2

XAU/USD – Analysis and Forecast

Gold continues to hold its intraday gains, trading near the weekly high around the $3036 level. This is due to several factors, including uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policy

Irina Yanina 10:44 2025-03-27 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.