USD/JPY – Yen yawns as investors look for cues

The Japanese yen has posted losses in the Monday session. In the North American session, USD/JPY is trading at 110.46, down 0.04% on the day. In economic news, there are no data releases out of the U.S or Japan.

Is the yen headed below the 110 line? This last occurred in late June, but recent losses in USD/JPY could send the pair into 109-territory as early as this week. The yen has posted gains of 1.2% in August, with the currency benefitting from the risk apprehension due to the rash of tariffs that the U.S has slapped on its major trading partners, including Japan. However, there is some hope that things are on the mend, as the U.S and China have agreed to hold low-level trade talks this week in Washington. Traders shouldn’t expect a dramatic breakthrough, but the fact that the two sides are talking has investors cheering. The U.S is unhappy with the Chinese protection of local markets and technology transfers required in order for U.S businesses to operate in China, but it’s questionable if the Chinese will show much flexibility. Both sides have slapped tariffs of $34 billion on each other’s products, with another $16 billion in tariffs scheduled for August 23. If the talks show some progress, such as the cancellation of the upcoming tariffs, we could see some volatility from the currency markets.

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USD/JPY Fundamentals

Monday (August 20)

  • 11:00 US FOMC Member Rafael Bostic Speaks

*All release times are DST

*Key events are in bold

USD/JPY for Monday, August 20, 2018

USD/JPY August 20 at 11:35 DST

Open: 110.51 High: 111.68 Low: 110.36 Close: 110.46

USD/JPY Technical

S3 S2 S1 R1 R2 R3
108.11 109.21 110.21 111.22 112.30 113.75

USD/JPY inched lower in the Asian session. The pair was flat in European trade and has ticked lower in North American trade

  • 110.21 is a weak support level
  • 111.22 is the next resistance line

Further levels in both directions:

  • Below: 110.21, 109.21 and 108.11
  • Above: 111.22, 112.30, 113.75 and 114.73
  • Current range: 110.21 to 111.22

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Kenny Fisher

Kenny Fisher

Market Analyst at OANDA
A highly experienced financial market analyst with a focus on fundamental and macroeconomic analysis, Kenny Fisher’s daily commentary covers a broad range of markets including forex, equities and commodities. His work has been published in major online financial publications including Investing.com, Seeking Alpha and FXStreet. Kenny has been a MarketPulse contributor since 2012.