USDJPY: Further Losses Possible for Japanese Yen as Havens Shunned

JPY price, news and analysis:

• USDJPY remains in a strong upward trend as traders shun traditional safe havens like the Japanese Yen and Gold, preferring to buy the US Dollar.
• Levels above 114.00 now seem increasingly likely.

Our trading forecasts for Q3 have just been published; you can find the JPY guide here.

And check out the IG Client Sentiment data to help you trade profitably.

USDJPY at six-month high

USDJPY has hit its highest level since January 8 and could make further gains as the pair remains on a strong upward trend. It is now only just below the 2018 high at 113.39 and could well top the 1.40 level before hitting the November 6, 2017 high at 114.74.

USDJPY Price Chart, Daily Timeframe (Year to Date)

Chart by IG

USD strength in focus

The principal driver of USDJPY remains the strength of the US Dollar, which gained ground Tuesday after Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, confirmed the strength of the US economy and reiterated that interest rates are going higher, with two more 0.25% hikes now penciled in for 2018.

Retail trader sentiment data show more traders short than long USDJPY – implying further strength for the pair if you take a contrarian view of crowd sentiment – but overall the sentiment data are mixed. Still, the USD seems to have taken over from JPY and gold as the safest of havens.

Meanwhile, from a technical perspective, further gains to the 114.00 level and trendline resistance just above that remain likely before a move to the 114.74 level touched in November.

Resources to help you trade the forex markets

Whether you are a new or an experienced trader, at DailyFX we have many resources to help you: analytical and educational webinars hosted several times per day, trading guides to help you improve your trading performance, and one specifically for those who are new to forex. You can learn how to trade like an expert by reading our guide to the Traits of Successful Traders.

--- Written by Martin Essex, Analyst and Editor

Feel free to contact me via the comments section below, via email at martin.essex@ig.com or on Twitter @MartinSEssex