empty
21.03.2025 12:46 AM
The Outlook for the Japanese Yen Remains Confidently Bullish

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, and the market reacted neutrally, as this outcome was widely expected. BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda stated that the risk of rising core inflation remains as wage growth and food prices remain elevated. Inflation data for February will be released overnight, and so far, the trend clearly favors further increases.

This image is no longer relevant

This marks the third consecutive BoJ meeting in which the interest rate has remained unchanged. In January, expectations were that the BoJ would raise rates in March, but the new U.S. president's announcement of a tariff review on imports increased uncertainty, leading to another pause—an outcome that was largely anticipated.

Japan is closely monitoring U.S. trade policy changes, with an expected announcement on April 2 regarding tariff increases on automobiles. The United States is Japan's largest export market (over $140 billion), with automobiles accounting for 28% of total exports. Japan fears it may become the next target of trade restrictions, as surveys indicate that business sentiment among manufacturers deteriorated in March.

Domestic wage growth is the second key factor influencing the BoJ's position, as it plays a crucial role in consumer demand and inflation. On Friday, the Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Rengo) announced that it had secured an average wage increase of 5.46%, exceeding last year's figures and marking the largest gain in 30 years. If these numbers are confirmed, expectations for a BoJ rate hike in May will strengthen, further boosting the yen. Current forecasts suggest that the BoJ will raise rates to 0.75% at one of its upcoming meetings, most likely in July, but now the market is increasingly considering the possibility of an earlier hike. Since the Federal Reserve is cutting rates, the trajectory for USD/JPY is quite clear.

Net long positions on the yen have reached $11.3 billion, the strongest speculative bet against the U.S. dollar among G10 currencies. Despite minimal changes in positioning over the past week, bullish momentum for the yen remains strong, and the estimated fair value of USD/JPY continues to decline.

This image is no longer relevant

After forming a local low at 146.50, USD/JPY rebounded slightly but remained within a bearish channel, with little reason to expect sustained growth. There was some speculation that the Bank of Canada might opt for another rate hike, but this did not materialize, and it has not changed the overall market sentiment—the yen is expected to continue strengthening.

Currently, the BoJ is the only major central bank tightening monetary policy, while others are shifting toward easing. We see a high probability of USD/JPY breaking below 146.50 and moving toward the long-term target of 139.59. The only potential disruption to this scenario would be a sharp increase in U.S. inflation expectations, which could alter the FOMC's rate outlook—but for now, there are no signs of such a shift.

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 ECB May Cut Interest Rates Twice

The euro is showing a sharp rally against the U.S. dollar. The EUR/USD pair has already reached a three-year high and shows no signs of slowing down. Meanwhile, according

Jakub Novak 12:42 2025-04-11 UTC+2

AUD/USD. Analysis and Forecast

The AUD/USD pair is attempting to attract buyers in its rebound from the psychological level of 0.5900, marking its lowest point since March 2020. The upward momentum has managed

Irina Yanina 12:39 2025-04-11 UTC+2

Markets Face a Prolonged Period of Instability (USD/JPY and USD/CHF Likely to Continue Falling)

On Thursday, investors realized there is currently no such thing as stability. High market volatility remains and will continue to dominate for some time. The ongoing cause of this remains

Pati Gani 09:11 2025-04-11 UTC+2

The Market Has Grown Used to Chaos

What is life if not a game? In past years, investors focused on the standoff between the Federal Reserve and financial markets. But in 2025, the rules of the game

Marek Petkovich 08:42 2025-04-11 UTC+2

What to Pay Attention to on April 11? A Breakdown of Fundamental Events for Beginners

A relatively large number of macroeconomic events are scheduled for Friday, but none are expected to impact the market. Of course, we may see short-term reactions to individual reports

Paolo Greco 06:04 2025-04-11 UTC+2

GBP/USD Overview. April 11: The Market Didn't Believe Trump

The GBP/USD currency pair also traded higher on Thursday. As a reminder, macroeconomic and traditional fundamental factors currently have little to no influence on currency movements. The only thing that

Paolo Greco 03:28 2025-04-11 UTC+2

EUR/USD Overview. April 11: The American Comedy Continues

The EUR/USD currency pair declined sharply overnight on Wednesday but showed some recovery during the day. On Thursday, there was further growth—this series of fluctuations can only be described

Paolo Greco 03:28 2025-04-11 UTC+2

Trading Recommendations and Analysis for GBP/USD on April 11: The Dollar Takes a Double Hit

The GBP/USD currency pair also showed strong growth on Thursday, although not as strong as the EUR/USD pair. The pound gained only around 200 pips—which isn't a considerable move under

Paolo Greco 03:28 2025-04-11 UTC+2

EUR/USD. A Message from the Past: U.S. CPI Report Fails to Support the Dollar

The CPI report released on Thursday showed weaker-than-expected inflation. The market responded accordingly: the U.S. dollar came under renewed pressure (the U.S. Dollar Index fell into the 100.00 range)

Irina Manzenko 00:47 2025-04-11 UTC+2

The Euro Charges Ahead. Opponents Retreat

A rally in European stock indices, slowing U.S. inflation, and the fact that the average U.S. tariff has not changed significantly despite the 90-day deferral all contributed to the rise

Marek Petkovich 00:47 2025-04-11 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.