USD/JPY – Dollar Rises to 117 Yen

USD/JPY has recorded gains on Friday, erasing the losses which marked the Thursday session. Currently, USD/JPY is trading at the 117 line. There are no Japanese releases on the schedule. In the US, the sole event is Chicago PMI, with the markets expecting the indicator to dip to 56.5 points.

The yen moved higher on Thursday, courtesy of an optimistic report from the Bank of Japan. The bank’s Summary of Opinion, which was modestly upbeat, comes on the heels of last week’s rate statement, where the BoJ held rates at -0.10%. The summary noted that the economy is showing “moderate recovery”, boosted by stronger exports and steady consumer consumption. The report gave a thumbs up to the economy, stating that growth was expected to remain strong. Despite the optimistic tone of the BoJ, this week’s key consumer indicators pointed to persistent weakness in inflation and spending. Household Spending declined 1.5%, marking a ninth straight decline. The markets had predicted a small gain of 0.2%. The Japanese economy continues to grapple with deflation, as underscored by Tokyo Core CPI. The key indicator came in at -0.6%, weaker than the estimate of -0.4%. The BoJ continues to cling to its inflation target of 2.0%, but this goal is unlikely to be realized anytime soon. At the same time, the Japanese yen is down sharply, losing 11% since November 1. If the US economy continues to heat up in 2017, we could see the Fed step in with further rate hikes, which would likely push the yen to lower levels.

With the US economy firing on all cylinders, US consumers are brimming with confidence, in what analysts are describing as a post-election surge in optimism. Recent consumer confidence surveys are pointing upwards, as the US consumer is optimistic that economic conditions will continue to improve under the incoming Trump administration. The CB Consumer Confidence report surged in December to 113.7, its highest level since August 2001. This reading comes on the heels of UoM Consumer Sentiment, which climbed to a 12-year high, with a reading of 93.8 points. Both of these well-respected surveys found that consumers are confident that continuing economic growth will create new jobs and raise incomes. Trump’s economic platform remains short on details, but he has promised to cut taxes while increasing public spending. If Trump manages to implement both of these goals, the US economy could heat up and also help global growth pick up speed.

Friday (December 30)

• 9:45 US Chicago PMI. Estimate 56.5

*All release times are GMT

*Key events are in bold

USD/JPY for Friday, December 30, 2016

USD/JPY December 30 at 7:30 EST

Open: 116.31 High: 117.20 Low: 116.11 Close: 116.95

USD/JPY Technical

• USD/JPY has posted slight gains in the Asian and European sessions
• 116.88 is a weak support line
• 118.05 is the next resistance line
• Current range: 116.88 to 118.05

Further levels in both directions:

• Below: 116.88, 115.88, 114.83 and 113.39
•  Above: 118.05, 118.85 and 119.83

OANDA’s Open Positions Ratio

USD/JPY ratio is unchanged in the Friday session. Short positions have a majority (55%), indicative of trader bias towards USD/JPY continuing to move to lower ground.

This article is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Corporation or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. Leveraged trading is high risk and not suitable for all. You could lose all of your deposited funds.