Skip to content

CFDs are leveraged products. CFD trading may not be suitable for everyone and can result in losses that exceed your deposits, so please consider our Risk Disclosure Notice and ensure that you fully understand the risks involved. CFDs are leveraged products. CFD trading may not be suitable for everyone and can result in losses that exceed your deposits, so please consider our Risk Disclosure Notice and ensure that you fully understand the risks involved.

Market update: Japanese yen boosted by Fed’s hint to pause rate hikes and geopolitics

USD/JPY continues to hover below the psychological 150 mark; GBP/JPY is attempting to rise further, and AUD/JPY is holding above key support. What is the outlook and what are the key levels to watch in select JPY crosses?

Source: Bloomberg

A path for the yen if BOJ remains hawkish

Dovish comments from US Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) officials coupled with the violence in Israel and Gaza have put a lid on US Treasury yields, boosting the Japanese yen.

Dallas Fed president Lorie Logan and Fed vice chair Philip Jefferson on Monday suggested that the sharp rise in yields has tightened financial conditions, lessening the need for further interest rate hikes. Markets are now pricing in around a 10% chance of a 25 basis points hike by the Fed when it meets next month, down from around a 28% chance a week ago. Moreover, the yen appears to have attracted some safe-haven bids on account of a flare up in geopolitical tensions.

USD/JPY technical analysis

The pause in the yen’s slide against the US dollar is a welcome sign as it hovers in the range that invited intervention by Japanese authorities last year. The yen has been under pressure as Bank of Japan (BOJ)’s persistent ultra-easy monetary policy diverges from its peers where central banks remain hawkish.

USD/JPY 240-minute chart

Source: TradingView

Having said that, unless global central banks take a step back from the hawkishness and/or BOJ steps up its hawkishness, the path of least resistance for the yen remains sideways to down.

USD/JPY daily chart

Source: TradingView

USD/JPY: 147.35 is key support

USD/JPY continues to hold under stiff resistance at the psychological 150 mark, not too far from the 2022 high of 152.00. A potential lower high created last week raises the risk of a test of the 200-period moving average to around a low of 147.35, seen in early October. This support is strong and may not break in the first attempt at least.

Given the buoyant upward momentum on the daily chart, the pair could continue to hover in the 147.00-150.00 range in the interim. However, any break below 147.35 would confirm that the broader upward pressure was easing.

GBP/JPY daily chart

Source: TradingView

GBP/JPY: bullish move ahead?

GBP/JPY is now testing key resistance at last week’s high of 183.00. Any break above could clear the path up to the August high of 186.75. Importantly, the cross’ hold above strong converged support on the 89-day moving average confirms that the broader trend remains up and the recent sideways price action is a pause, rather than a reversal of the uptrend.

AUD/JPY: range likely

AUD/JPY continues to hold above quite strong converged support at the 89-day moving average, the February high, and the lower edge of the Ichimoku cloud on the daily charts, as highlighted in the previous update. However, unless the cross clears the June high of 97.70 the path of least remains sideways at best.

AUD/JPY weekly chart

Source: TradingView

This information has been prepared by DailyFX, the partner site of IG offering leading forex news and analysis. 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.


The information 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 Bank S.A. 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 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. See full non-independent research disclaimer.

Discover how to trade the markets

Learn how indices work – and discover the wide range of markets you can trade CFDs on – with IG Academy's free ’introducing the financial markets’ course.

Put learning into action

Try out what you’ve learned in this index strategy article risk-free in your demo account.

Ready to trade indices?

Put the lessons in this article to use in a live account – upgrading is quick and easy.

  • Get fixed spreads from 1 point on the FTSE 100, 1.2 on the Germany 40, and 0.4 on the US 500
  • Protect your capital with risk management tools
  • Trade more 24-hour markets than any other provider

Inspired to trade?

Put your new knowledge into practice. Log in to your account now.

Live prices on most popular markets

  • Forex
  • Shares
  • Indices

Prices above are subject to our website terms and agreements. Prices are indicative only. All shares prices are delayed by at least 15 mins.

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.