USDJPY trades around intervention levels as Japanese officials remain constrained

FUNDAMENTAL OVERVIEWUSD:The US dollar skyrocketed
in the final part of last week as prospects of a quick end to the war faded and
oil resumed the rally towards triple digit levels. Traders continue to price
out the rate cut bets amid surging energy prices. On Wednesday, we have the
FOMC policy decision where the central bank is expected to keep interest rates
unchanged with Miran, Waller and Bowman likely dissenting in favour of a rate
cut. At this meeting, we will also get the Summary of Economic Projections and
the Dot Plot. The Fed is likely to revise
growth forecasts lower, while upgrading inflation estimates. The median Dot
Plot should remain unchanged with one rate cut expected by year-end. Overall, the
central bank is likely to stress patience amid the US-Iran war but maintain an
easing bias. JPY:On the JPY side, nothing
has changed but it’s interesting to see the lack of strong verbal intervention
like we’ve seen back in January. The Japanese Minister
of Finance Katayama did warn that they are ready to take decisive steps if
needed, but other than that we haven’t got anything of substance. This week, we also have the
BoJ policy decision on Thursday, but the central bank is expected to keep
everything unchanged given the lack of support from Prime Minister Takaichi and
especially from the economic data. A BoJ rate hike in the
current context would just exacerbate growth fears and add more pressure on the
stock market and economic activity. USDJPY TECHNICAL
ANALYSIS – DAILY TIMEFRAMEOn the daily chart, we can
see that USDJPY broke above the
“intervention” level and it’s now trading at the highest level since 2024. The
buyers will likely continue to target the cycle high around the 162.00 handle unless
Japanese officials intervene, the BoJ hikes or Trump puts an end to the US-Iran
conflict.USDJPY TECHNICAL
ANALYSIS – 4 HOUR TIMEFRAMEOn the 4 hour chart, we
have an upward trendline defining the bullish momentum. If we get a pullback
into the trendline, we can expect the buyers to lean on the trendline with a
defined risk below it to keep pushing into new highs. The sellers, on the other
hand, will need the price to break lower to pile in for a drop into the 157.00
handle next.USDJPY TECHNICAL
ANALYSIS – 1 HOUR TIMEFRAMEOn the 1 hour chart, there’s
not much we can add here as the buyers will have a better risk to reward setup around
the trendline, while the sellers will need a breakout to open the door for new lows.
The red lines define the average daily range for today. UPCOMING CATALYSTSOn Wednesday we have the US PPI report and the FOMC policy decision. On Thursday,
we have the BoJ policy decision and the latest US Jobless Claims figures. The
focus remains on the US-Iran war, so keep an eye on the headlines, especially
those regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
This article was written by Giuseppe Dellamotta at investinglive.com.

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