Skip to content

CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. Please ensure you fully understand the risks involved.

USD/JPY at 12-month high: government intervention in view?

USD/JPY surged to a 12-month high at 151.7 on the final hours of October, prompting Japan's foreign exchange chief to offer verbal support.

Source: Bloomberg

USD/JPY surged to a 12-month high at 151.7 on the final hours of October, prompting Japan's foreign exchange chief to offer verbal support.


USD/JPY experiences a tumultuous week


Despite being only halfway through the week, the Japanese yen has already taken investors on a rollercoaster ride in a full cycle of ups and downs.


On Monday, Nikkei, a well-known Japanese news group, reported that the Japanese central bank was considering scrapping its yield-curve control policy in the Tuesday meeting, a significant step away from its ultra-loose monetary policy. This move had great potential to strengthen the weakening yen which is trading versus greenback at its lowest level since 1990. The news immediately sent the Japanese yen to a two-week high.


However, the news did not materialize in the announcement made on the following day's Bank of Japan meeting.


Although the Bank of Japan did relax its grip on bond yields and raised its inflation projection for 2024, moves that can be seen as shaking the ground of its ultra-loose monetary policy. However, the message came out of the central bank’s meeting notably fell short of investors' expectations for a much clearer pivot signal. As a result, the Japanese yen tumbled in the hours following Tuesday's after meeting annoucement, with USD/JPY surging as much as 1.5%, marking the biggest one-day movement since April.

Then comes the third consecutive day of volatility, which started with Japan's chief currency official Masato Kanda stating that authorities are still on standby, ready to intervene if necessary. While the yen strengthened slightly from the bottom of the year, the USD/JPY exchange rate stabilized above 151.


At the time of writing, the rollercoaster ride of USD/JPY is showing no signs of stopping as we head into the busiest chapter of the week with the FOMC meeting and the US job report that are both set to shake up the FX market with no hesitation.


USD/JPY technical analysis


From a technical standpoint, as seen in the USD/JPY daily chart below, after surging 16% so far this year, there is notable short-term resistance at 151.536, stemming from the October 2022 peak and the ceiling formed by peaks from July. A breach of this level could send the pair above 152, a level last seen in June 1990.


On the other hand, based on the RSI curve, a near-term pullback potentially triggered by its overbought status could find support at 150, where the 20-day moving average currently resides.

This information has been prepared by IG, a trading name of IG Australia Pty Ltd. In addition to the disclaimer below, the material on this page does not contain a record of our trading prices, or an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument. IG accepts no responsibility for any use that may be made of these comments and for any consequences that result. No representation or warranty is given as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Consequently any person acting on it does so entirely at their own risk. Any research provided does not have regard to the specific investment objectives, financial situation and needs of any specific person who may receive it. It has not been prepared in accordance with legal requirements designed to promote the independence of investment research and as such is considered to be a marketing communication. Although we are not specifically constrained from dealing ahead of our recommendations we do not seek to take advantage of them before they are provided to our clients.

Start trading forex today

Trade the largest and most volatile financial market in the world.

  • Spreads start at just 0.6 points on EUR/USD
  • Analyse market movements with our essential selection of charts
  • Speculate from a range of platforms, including on mobile

Live prices on most popular markets

  • Forex
  • Shares
  • Indices

You might be interested in…

Find out what charges your trades could incur with our transparent fee structure.

Discover why so many clients choose us, and what makes us a world-leading provider of CFDs.

Stay on top of upcoming market-moving events with our customisable economic calendar.