Today we would take a look at the USD/JPY currency pair. The pair continues to be somewhat volatile, though we can see a gradual upward movement in June that continues today. The future of the pair is unclear, as we expect bullishness in both currencies.
The American dollar continues to be supported by strong economic data. Rising inflation and lowering unemployment prompted the Federal Reserve to increase interest rates last week by another .25%, so now it stands at 2%. This provided a boost for the USD. Nevertheless, the political affairs of Donald Trump are adding pressure on the US economy. After officially announcing the first round of tariffs against China worth $50 billion, Trump surprised analysts by coming up with even more tariffs on goods worth $200 billion, as retaliation for China’s response to the first wave of fees. As the countries are headed towards a trade war, the impact on the American economy still has not been estimated.
The Japanese yen finds itself in a tough spot once again. It initially decreased due to positive reports regarding Trump’s meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last week, but then weakened again based on central banks’ reports. The Bank of Japan’s dovishness is pushing the yen down, while at the same time the trade war risks are attracting investors’ interest. If the conflict between the United States and China exacerbates, the yen will likely benefit from it.
In terms of the daily chart today we have a pivot point for the USD/JPY pair located at 110.23, with the pair currently trading slightly above it. We expect the rate to stay up today, so look towards the resistances at 110.60 and 110.82. In case the dollar starts losing to the yen, beware of the nearby support levels at 110.01 and 109.64. The indicators of technical analysis agree on a strong buy signal this time around.
