USD/JPY

Commerzbank's Volkmar Baur highlights Japanese investors' net selling of foreign bonds and its implications for global yields. Although Japanese investors have recently returned as buyers of French bonds, their selling of US bonds has provided some support to the euro against the dollar.

United Overseas Bank’s (UOB) Quek Ser Leang and Lee Sue Ann note that USD/JPY has been volatile around 157.86, with swings between 157.51 and 158.36 failing to establish a clear trend. For the coming sessions, the pair is expected to trade within 157.50–158.50 intraday, while the 1–3 week view favours consolidation in a narrower 157.00–158.70 band against a backdrop of longer-term downside momentum.

The Japanese Yen (JPY) trades lower against its major currency peers on Friday. In the European trade, the USD/JPY pair is up 0.3% to near 158.25.

MUFG’s Derek Halpenny analyses September Ministry of Finance (MoF) securities data, noting strong foreign purchases of Japanese bonds after the Bank of Japan (BoJ) rate hike, suggesting improved JGB confidence.

The US Dollar (USD) ticks up against the Japanese Yen (JPY) on Friday but remains trapped in a tight range, with downside attempts contained above the 157.50 area and the 200-day SMA at 158.54, which holds bulls for now.

The USD/JPY pair struggles to capitalize on a modest Asian session uptick on Friday, now trading near the lower end of its daily range, below the 158.00 mark amid a broadly weaker US Dollar (USD).