Business

USD/JPY stays steady as Fed holds rates, turns mildly hawkish

  • Fed keeps fed funds rate steady, cites resilient labor market and balanced economic risks.
  • US Treasury yields and Dollar Index gain modestly due to Fed’s slightly hawkish inflation stance.
  • Market participants await Fed Chair Powell’s press conference for further directional guidance.

The USD/JPY remained unfazed during the North American session after the US Federal Reserve (Fed) maintained the fed funds rate at the 4.25%—4.50% range while shifting slightly hawkish after acknowledging there’s no inflation improvement. At the time of writing, the pair trades at around 155.31, down 0.12%.

USD/JPY drops, even though Fed’s remove inflation language

The Federal Reserve’s monetary policy statement highlighted a resilient labor market while maintaining that risks to its dual mandate goals “are roughly in balance.” Policymakers noted solid economic expansion and reiterated their commitment to monitoring risks while continuing balance sheet reduction at the existing pace. The decision was unanimous.  

Following the announcement, U.S. Treasury yields climbed, with the 10-year note rising four and a half basis points to 4.581%. The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY) gained 0.17%, reaching a session high of 108.10.

Meanwhile, USD/JPY traders will eye Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference at around 18:30 GMT.

USD/JPY Reaction to Fed’s Decision


The USD/JPY ticked higher towards the 100-hour Simple Moving Average (SMA) at 155.44. If surpassed, it could pave the way to test the 200-hour SMA at 155.71. Further upside is seen, as 156.00 would emerge as the next resistance. 

Conversely, if USD/JPY drops inside the Ichimoku Cloud (Kumo) below 155.20, a test of 155.00 is on the cards. On further weakness, the pair could challenge the January 25 daily low of 154.09.

Japanese Yen PRICE Today

The table below shows the percentage change of Japanese Yen (JPY) against listed major currencies today. Japanese Yen was the strongest against the Australian Dollar.

  USD EUR GBP JPY CAD AUD NZD CHF
USD   0.32% 0.13% -0.09% 0.29% 0.55% 0.46% 0.51%
EUR -0.32%   -0.19% -0.37% -0.03% 0.22% 0.16% 0.19%
GBP -0.13% 0.19%   -0.21% 0.15% 0.41% 0.33% 0.37%
JPY 0.09% 0.37% 0.21%   0.37% 0.63% 0.56% 0.59%
CAD -0.29% 0.03% -0.15% -0.37%   0.26% 0.17% 0.22%
AUD -0.55% -0.22% -0.41% -0.63% -0.26%   -0.08% -0.03%
NZD -0.46% -0.16% -0.33% -0.56% -0.17% 0.08%   0.05%
CHF -0.51% -0.19% -0.37% -0.59% -0.22% 0.03% -0.05%  

The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Japanese Yen from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent JPY (base)/USD (quote).

Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.

If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.

FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.

The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.

Related Articles

Back to top button