USD/JPY rallies further above 156.00 on soaring 10-year JGB yields
- The USD/JPY pair rallies further to near 156.20 as surging yields on JGBs batter the Japanese Yen.
- 10-year yields on JGBs surge to their highest level in over 17 years to 1.77%.
- The US Dollar trades higher ahead of the FOMC minutes and US NFP data.
The USD/JPY pair extends its rally to near 156.20 during the European trading session on Wednesday. The pair strengthens as the Japanese Yen (JPY) declines sharply amid surging yields on Japan Government Bonds (JGBs), following hopes that the administration will announce bigger economic stimulus.
Japanese Yen Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of Japanese Yen (JPY) against listed major currencies today. Japanese Yen was the weakest against the Euro.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | -0.04% | 0.17% | 0.37% | 0.18% | 0.32% | 0.53% | 0.23% | |
| EUR | 0.04% | 0.20% | 0.43% | 0.23% | 0.36% | 0.56% | 0.27% | |
| GBP | -0.17% | -0.20% | 0.23% | 0.02% | 0.16% | 0.36% | 0.06% | |
| JPY | -0.37% | -0.43% | -0.23% | -0.20% | -0.06% | 0.14% | -0.15% | |
| CAD | -0.18% | -0.23% | -0.02% | 0.20% | 0.14% | 0.33% | 0.05% | |
| AUD | -0.32% | -0.36% | -0.16% | 0.06% | -0.14% | 0.20% | -0.10% | |
| NZD | -0.53% | -0.56% | -0.36% | -0.14% | -0.33% | -0.20% | -0.30% | |
| CHF | -0.23% | -0.27% | -0.06% | 0.15% | -0.05% | 0.10% | 0.30% |
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 Japanese Yen from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent JPY (base)/USD (quote).
At the time of writing, 10-year JGBs trade 1.37% higher to near 1.77%, the highest level seen in over 17 years.
The remarks from Japan’s Finance Minister (FM) Satsuki Katayama came earlier in the day signaled that the government is focused on boosting economic growth through its upcoming stimulus package, a scenario that will increase debt obligations for the administration. However, Katayama refused to comment on the size of the package.
Meanwhile, rising US Dollar (USD) is also strengthening the pair. At the press time, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback’s value against six major currencies, posts a fresh weekly high near 99.75.
The US Dollar trades higher ahead of the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) minutes for the October policy meeting at 19:00 GMT. In the meeting, the Fed decided to cut interest rates by 25 basis points (bps) to 3.75%-4.00%.
This week, the major trigger for the US Dollar will be the US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for September, which will be released on Thursday. The official employment data will influence market expectations for the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) monetary policy outlook.
US Dollar FAQs
The US Dollar (USD) is the official currency of the United States of America, and the ‘de facto’ currency of a significant number of other countries where it is found in circulation alongside local notes. It is the most heavily traded currency in the world, accounting for over 88% of all global foreign exchange turnover, or an average of $6.6 trillion in transactions per day, according to data from 2022. Following the second world war, the USD took over from the British Pound as the world’s reserve currency. For most of its history, the US Dollar was backed by Gold, until the Bretton Woods Agreement in 1971 when the Gold Standard went away.
The most important single factor impacting on the value of the US Dollar is monetary policy, which is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability (control inflation) and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these two goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, the Fed will raise rates, which helps the USD value. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates, which weighs on the Greenback.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve can also print more Dollars and enact quantitative easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used when credit has dried up because banks will not lend to each other (out of the fear of counterparty default). It is a last resort when simply lowering interest rates is unlikely to achieve the necessary result. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice to combat the credit crunch that occurred during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy US government bonds predominantly from financial institutions. QE usually leads to a weaker US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing in new purchases. It is usually positive for the US Dollar.