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☆ Japan's top currency diplomat says Tokyo in close contact with U.S. on FX moves
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A man walks past an electronic board showing the closing numbers on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Japanese yen rate versus the US dollar (R), along a street in Tokyo on May 1, 2023. Japanese authorities are always in close communication with U.S. counterparts on currencies and share a mutual understanding that excessive volatility is undesirable, Tokyo's top foreign exchange official said on Wednesday. Yellen said whether Washington would show understanding over another yen-buying intervention by Japan "depends on the details" of the situation. "We won't rule out any options if excessive moves persist," Kanda said. To help households cope with higher living costs, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government plans a supplementary budget for this fiscal year, which could aggravate the industrial world's heaviest debt burden.

Persons: Masato Kanda, Janet Yellen, Yellen, Kanda, Fumio Organizations: Tokyo Stock Exchange, U.S, Treasury Locations: Tokyo, Washington, Japan

☆ Stocks struggle as oil surge sets stage for hawkish Fed
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Higher energy costs led to a bigger-than-expected spike in Canadian inflation, overnight data showed, lifting the loonie and triggering selling in the Treasury market. Benchmark 10-year Treasury yields hit their highest since 2007 at 4.371% overnight and were last at 4.36%. The Fed meeting leads a week jammed with central bank meetings and data over the next few days. British inflation figures are due on Wednesday, followed by central bank meetings in Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Britain and Japan on Thursday. Rising yields have kept a lid on gold prices, with spot gold last trading at $1,929 an ounce.

Persons: Brent, presser, Jerome Powell's, Sam Rines, Powell presser, Masato Kanda, Kristina Clifton, Miral Organizations: Treasury, Federal Reserve, Brent, Nikkei, U.S, STERLING, OF CPI, Bank of, New Zealand, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: presser China, SINGAPORE, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Texas, Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Britain, U.S, China, Australia, Argentina

☆ Dollar has 8th straight week of gains; U.S. stocks edge up
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Caroline Valetkevitch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 24, 2023. The dollar index's weekly winning streak was its longest since 2014, bolstered by recent data suggesting the U.S. economy is still resilient. Investors are waiting for the U.S. Consumer Price Index reading for August, due Wednesday, especially with oil prices rising. Dollar gains have also prompted a step up in rhetoric from Japanese policymakers growing uncomfortable with the yen's slide. In energy, oil prices rose to a nine-month high as U.S. diesel futures rose and as investors worried about tight oil supplies.

Persons: Brendan McDermid, Quincy Krosby, Wall, Masato Kanda, Hirokazu Matsuno, Huw Jones, Heekyong Yang, Shri Navaratnam, Tomasz Janowski, David Evans, Richard Chang Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, REUTERS, Apple, U.S, Strong U.S, Federal Reserve, Investors, U.S . Consumer, Financial, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, Treasury, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S, Strong, Charlotte , North Carolina, China, Japan, Brent, London, Seoul

☆ Stocks subdued after bruising week, dollar basks and yuan wilts
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Huw Jones | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. stock index futures , , were little changed. The dollar was set to clock up its best winning streak since 2014, bolstered by a resilient run of U.S. economic data. In contrast, the yuan fell to its weakest level since 2007 on worries about China's slowing economy. "Everything is geared towards the next couple of weeks, with European Central Bank, Federal Reserve and Bank of England meeting. Stocks sought to stabilise after a week of easing, with the MSCI All Country stock index (.MIWD00000PUS) slightly weaker at 676.83 points, and down about 1.5% for the week so far, though still up nearly 12% for the year.

Persons: Toby Melville, Mike Hewson, Stocks, Patrick Spencer, Spencer, YUAN, Masato Kanda, Hirokazu Matsuno, Brent, Heekyong Yang, Shri Navaratnam, Tomasz Janowski, David Evans Organizations: London Stock Exchange Group, City of, REUTERS, Stocks, Apple, Investors, European Central Bank, Federal Reserve, Bank of England, CMC, U.S, Consumer, Baird, ANZ Bank, Treasury, Thomson Locations: City, City of London, Britain, China, United States, Europe, U.S, Seoul

☆ Stocks stumble as 'dollar juggernaut' on a roll
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Passersby are reflected on an electric stock quotation board outside a brokerage in Tokyo, Japan April 18, 2023. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) fell 0.2% in early trade and is down 1.4% for the week. "China’s partial ban on Apple products put trade wars and U.S.-China decoupling back on the agenda," said Capital.com analyst Kyle Rodda. U.S. suppliers' shares had fallen overnight and helped drag the S&P 500 (.SPX) 0.3% lower and the Nasdaq (.IXIC) down by 0.9%. The Australian dollar is down more than 1% on the week and traded at $0.6384 on Friday.

Persons: Issei Kato, TSMC, Kyle Rodda, Masato Kanda, Hirokazy Matsuno, Brent, Heekyong Yang, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Japan's Nikkei, South Korea's SK Hynix, Huawei Technologies, Tokyo, Apple, Nasdaq, ANZ Bank, European Central Bank, Treasury, Brent, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Rights SINGAPORE, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Hong Kong, China, South Korea's, Europe, Seoul

☆ Dollar rises to six-month high after US data; weak yen prompts warning
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The greenback recovered against most currencies after the data, with the euro and sterling hitting three-month lows and the yen touching session troughs. The euro and sterling fell to three-month lows after the data and were last flat at $1.0726 and down 0.5% at $1.2505 , respectively. Data showed the Institute for Supply Management (ISM)'s non-manufacturing PMI rose to 54.5 last month, the highest since February and up from 52.7 in July. Against the yen, the dollar trimmed losses, last down little changed at 147.69 yen. The dollar showed little reaction to the report.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Helen, Susan Collins, Christopher Waller, Waller, Masato Kanda, Gertrude Chavez, Dreyfuss, Samuel Indyk, Ankur Banerjee, Savio D'Souza, Alexandra Hudson, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Institute for Supply Management, Reuters, Monex USA, Federal, Fed, Boston, CNBC, Ministry of Finance, Thomson Locations: Washington, U.S, Kanda, London, Singapore

☆ Dollar firm on growth worries, fragile yen draws warning
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The yen was at 147.66 per dollar in early Asian hours, just shy of 147.8 per dollar, the lowest since Nov. 4 it touched overnight. The Asian currency has hovered around the key 145 per dollar level for the past few weeks, leading traders to keep a wary eye on signs of an intervention. "We won't rule out any options if speculative moves persist," Japan's top currency diplomat Masato Kanda told reporters on Wednesday. Against a basket of currencies, the dollar rose 0.067% to 104.80, not far off the six-month high of 104.90 it touched overnight. The euro was unchanged at $1.0721 in Asian hours, having breached a three-month low of $1.0705 overnight.

Persons: Masato Kanda, Christopher Wong, Sterling, Christopher Waller Organizations: Ministry of Finance, Federal, U.S, Reserve Bank of Australia Locations: China, Kanda, Singapore, Europe, Britain

☆ Japan's July factory output slumps, raises pressure on manufacturers
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Japan's factory output fell more than expected in July, signalling a rocky start to the second half of the year for manufacturers as worries mount over growth in China and the global economy. Industrial output fell 2.0% in July from the previous month, data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) showed on Thursday. Output of electronic parts and devices fell 5.1%, while that of production machinery decreased 4.8%, driving the overall decline. Among production machinery, output for semiconductor manufacturing equipment fell by 16.4%. Other data showed Japanese retail sales expanded 6.8% in July from a year earlier.

Persons: Issei Kato, Masato Koike, Satoshi Sugiyama, Kantaro Komiya, Chang, Ran Kim, Shri Navaratnam, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Ministry, Economy, Trade, Industry, Toyota, Honda, Manufacturers, Sompo, Thomson Locations: Kawasaki, Japan, China

☆ Japan's Suzuki: Not targeting absolute levels on FX intervention
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"It's important for the currency market to move stably reflecting fundamentals. "We're watching market moves with a strong sense of urgency. We'll respond appropriately to excessive moves." Japan will assess whether moves are speculative, volatile or based on fundamentals, rather than focusing on absolute levels, Suzuki added. Japan's top forex diplomat Masato Kanda said later on Tuesday that he would take appropriate steps against excessive currency moves, according to the Jiji news agency.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Shuji, Suzuki, Japan's, Masato Kanda, Jiji, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Kantaro Komiya, Jacqueline Wong, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Toki, Japanese Finance, U.S, Bank of, Thomson Locations: Niigata, Japan, TOKYO, U.S . Federal, Bank of Japan

☆ Insight: BOJ makes bold shift as yen risks grow too big to ignore
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

The BOJ's decision shook markets on Friday and contrasted sharply with Ueda's more cautious comments in recent months about the dangers of retreating too quickly from accommodative Kuroda-era policies. "There's also a small but probable risk of inflation overshooting in Japan, which gave the BOJ reason to act." NEW PRIORITIESThe BOJ's policy decision last week signalled to investors that it would now allow the 10-year government bond yield to move closer to 1% before it intervenes. 'BIT BY BIT'The shift in thinking gained momentum at the BOJ's June policy meeting, but not enough to turn the tide. It was a test case, or a preliminary exercise, toward future policy normalisation," said former BOJ board member Takahide Kiuchi.

Persons: Issei Kato, Kazuo Ueda, Haruhiko Kuroda, Fumio, accommodative Kuroda, Ueda, YCC, There's, Hirokazu Matsuno, Seiji Adachi, Asahi Noguchi, Ryozo Himino, Shinichi Uchida, Uchida, Masato Kanda, Kanda, Takahide, Leika Kihara, Takaya Yamaguchi, Takahiko Wada, Kentaro Sugiyama, Yoshifumi, Sam Holmes Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, TOKYO, Bank, Ueda, Reuters, BIT, Asahi, Nikkei, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

☆ Japan asks X to take down fake account of top FX diplomat as yen weakens
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

'X' logo is seen on the top of the headquarters of the messaging platform X, formerly known as Twitter, in downtown San Francisco, California, U.S., July 30, 2023. In a rare English-language post on X, the ministry said "Please don’t follow the impersonation account and/or comment on the post", saying such an X account purportedly belonging to Kanda or his staff did not exist. loading"MOF is currently requesting that X (formerly Twitter) suspends the impersonation account. The fake account, which follows about 5,000 users and was followed by little more than 550, has made no remarks about the yen or financial markets. (This story has been refiled to clarify that the fake account had made five, not four, posts to date in paragraph 4)Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Carlos Barria, Masato Kanda, Kanda, Japan's, Kantaro Komiya, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Japan's Ministry of Finance, Bank of Japan's, U.S ., BOJ, Thomson Locations: San Francisco , California, U.S, Kanda, Ukraine

The remarks came amid simmering market speculation that creeping inflation and robust wage growth will prod the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to tweak its yield control policy at a two-day rate review ending on Friday. Under the joint agreement with the government signed in 2013 and re-confirmed by the current administration, the BOJ pledges to achieve 2% inflation at the earliest date possible. The remarks differ in tone from those made earlier on Monday by top currency diplomat Masato Kanda, who said recent inflation and wage rises were overshooting expectations. On Friday, Kanda told Reuters that "various expectations and speculations are spreading about the possibility of some kind of tweak to monetary policy." Sources have told Reuters the BOJ is leaning toward keeping its yield control policy steady this week, though there is no consensus within the bank.

Persons: BOJ, Kanda, Yoshihiko Isozaki, Isozaki, Isozaki's, Masato Kanda, It's, Kazuo Ueda, Leika Kihara, Kantaro Komiya, Kim Coghill, Lincoln Organizations: Bank of Japan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

TOKYO, July 24 (Reuters) - Japan's top currency diplomat Masato Kanda said on Monday recent inflation and wage rises were overshooting expectations, suggesting companies were changing practices that had been based on the assumption prices won't rise much. The central bank is likely to revise up its inflation forecasts at its two-day policy meeting ending on Friday, Kanda told reporters, adding that he was not in a position to comment on specific monetary policy. "It's become a shared view at home and abroad that changes are seen in Japan's corporate price- and wage-setting behaviour," Kanda told reporters. "If you add up data available so far, we'll probably see an upgrade in the BOJ's (inflation) forecasts," he said. On Friday, Kanda told Reuters that "various expectations and speculations are spreading about the possibility of some kind of tweak to monetary policy."

Persons: Masato Kanda, Kanda, It's, we'll, Kazuo Ueda, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Leika Kihara, Kim Coghill, Lincoln Organizations: Bank of Japan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

BoJ policymakers prefer to scrutinize more data to ensure wages and inflation keep rising before changing the policy, five sources familiar with the matter said. The report added there was no consensus within the central bank and the decision could still be a close call. The dollar gained 1.24% to 141.81 yen , after earlier reaching 141.95, the highest since July 10. The greenback is on track for its best weekly percentage gain against the Japanese currency since October at 2.22%. The pound is on track for a 1.75% weekly fall, its largest since early February.

Persons: Edward Moya, Moya, Kenneth Broux, Broux, Masato Kanda, Jerome Powell, Powell, Scherrmann, Karen Brettell, Iain Withers, Angus MacSwan, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: YORK, Reuters, Bank of Japan, FX, Societe Generale, Ministry of Finance, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Europe, New York, United States, U.S, London

☆ Japan's top financial diplomat signals chance of BOJ policy tweaks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Tetsushi Kajimoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, July 21 (Reuters) - Japan's top financial diplomat on Friday suggested the central bank may tweak its approach to monetary stimulus at its next policy meeting, due to "signs of changes" in corporate behaviour on wage growth and price rises. In rare remarks on monetary policy, Masato Kanda, vice finance minister for international affairs, said he expects the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to make a judgment on policy by analysing the conditions and outlook for prices at every review. "Various expectations and speculations are spreading about the possibility of some kind of tweak to monetary policy," he said. The BOJ, under Governor Kazuo Ueda's predecessor Haruhiko Kuroda, launched an unprecedented round of monetary stimulus in 2013, pledging to inflate the economy to meet a 2% inflation target in two years. The BOJ is leaning towards keeping its yield control policy unchanged at next week's meeting, five sources familiar with its thinking said, as policymakers prefer to scrutinise more data to ensure wages and inflation keep rising.

Persons: Masato Kanda, Kanda's, Kanda, Kazuo Ueda's, Haruhiko Kuroda, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Leika Kihara, Satoshi Sugiyama, Andrew Heavens, Miral Fahmy, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Bank of Japan, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

☆ Yen slides after sources say Bank of Japan leaning to holding key policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Iain Withers | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BoJ policymakers prefer to scrutinise more data to ensure wages and inflation keep rising before changing the policy, five sources familiar with the matter said. The report added there was no consensus within the central bank and the decision could still be a close call. The dollar was heading for its biggest one-day gain versus the yen since April, rising as much as 1.3% to a nearly two-week high of 141.95. Prior to the report, the dollar had been up around 0.3% versus the yen. The dollar index - which tracks the greenback against six major peers including the yen - was last up 0.3% at 101.040.

Persons: Kenneth Broux, Broux, Kazuo Ueda, Masato Kanda, Scherrmann, Iain Withers, Ankur Banerjee, Angus MacSwan, David Holmes Organizations: Reuters, Bank of Japan, Trade, FX, Societe Generale, Ministry of Finance, Federal Reserve, European Central Bank, Thomson Locations: Europe, United States, U.S, Singapore

☆ Japan's wholesale inflation slows for 6th straight month
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Summary Wholesale prices rise at slowest annual pace since April 2021Rise in utility bills, food prices moderatesYen-based import prices fall at fastest pace since July 2020TOKYO, July 12 (Reuters) - Japan's wholesale inflation slowed for a sixth straight month in June due to sliding fuel and commodity prices, data showed on Wednesday, a sign the cost-push pressure that drove up consumer prices is steadily easing. The data underscores the central bank's view that consumer inflation will slow in coming months as global commodity prices slide from last year's peak levels. But the pace appears to be moderating," Masato Higashi, head of the Bank of Japan's price statistics division, told a briefing. The rise, which followed a 5.2% gain in May, was the slowest annual pace since April 2021, data by the BOJ showed. Food and beverage prices increased 7.4% in June, smaller than a 8.0% gain in May, the data showed.

Persons: Masato Higashi, Leika, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Bank of, Thomson Locations: TOKYO

The greenback was down 0.18% at 1104 GMT to 144.44 yen , after rising 0.27% on Monday. However, the yen remained close to last week's almost eight-month low of 145.07 per dollar, which prompted Japan's Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki to warn against excessive yen selling. Market activity was relatively subdued with U.S. markets closed for the July 4 public holiday. Across currency markets, investors remained on watch for possible intervention by Japanese authorities to stem yen losses. Tan said the dollar is likely to rise past 150 yen, which would make intervention "more likely than not".

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Alvin Tan, Masato Kanda, Janet Yellen, Charu, Tan, Harry Robertson, Ankur Banerjee, Kevin Buckland, Shri Navaratnam, Emma Rumney, Christina Fincher Organizations: LONDON, Japan's Finance, U.S, Federal, U.S ., Asia FX, RBC Capital Markets, Reserve Bank of Australia, Australian, Treasury, Reuters, Saxo Markets, Japan, Bank, Bank of, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Asia, Bank of Japan, London, Singapore

☆ Yen steady, markets on intervention alert; Aussie up before RBA decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"This is sending signals that a coordinated intervention may be coming as yen continues to hover above 144 per dollar," said Charu Chanana, market strategist at Saxo Markets. "A coordinated intervention usually has a longer lasting impact on the yen than a unilateral intervention would have." RBA WATCHThe focus in Asian hours will be on the policy decision from the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). "We estimate that a hike would push up Aussie modestly by 0.8% so long as the post‑meeting statement was not dovish. The Australian dollar was at $0.668, up 0.16% against the U.S. dollar, while the New Zealand dollar was also up 0.16% at $0.616.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Masato Kanda, Janet Yellen, Charu, Kristina Clifton, CBA's Clifton, Ankur Banerjee, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: U.S, Treasury, Saxo Markets, Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, U.S . Federal, Reserve Bank of Australia, Reuters, Australian, U.S ., New Zealand, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Japan, U.S, United States, U.S ., Tokyo, Singapore

☆ Gold listless as investors wait for Fed's June meeting minutes
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Bars of gold are seen at Krastsvetmet, one of the world's largest producers of precious metals, in Moscow, January 31, 2023. Spot gold was little changed at $1,921.39 per ounce by 0241 GMT, while U.S. gold futures were flat at $1,929.10. High interest rates discourage investment in non-yielding gold. Markets will also watch for minutes of the June 13 to14 FOMC meeting being released on Wednesday. While gold prices could recover to $1,940 before a potential drop lower, "the rates background remains a significant drag," Frappell added.

Persons: Nicholas Frappell, Frappell, Masato Kanda Organizations: U.S, ABC Refinery, Investors, Reserve Bank of Locations: Moscow, U.S, U.S . Federal

☆ Morning Bid: Zuckerberg takes on Musk; RBA stands pat
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Musk and Facebook parent Meta CEO Zuckerberg have been egging each other into a mixed martial arts cage match in Las Vegas, with both billionaires trading jabs (online) last month. Beyond Silicon Valley, markets seem content to take it easy with a light data calendar and a U.S. holiday. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) inched higher, the dollar was firm, while the oil prices were steady. Since then, the yen has stayed below 145 but remains perilously close enough to keep markets nervy. The Reserve Bank of Australia chose to stand pat on interest rates after data last week showed consumer inflation slowed to a 13-month low in May.

Persons: Ankur Banerjee, Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Shunichi Suzuki, Masato Kanda, Janet Yellen, Sam Holmes Organizations: Ankur, Facebook, Investors, U.S, Treasury, Reserve Bank of Australia, Reuters, Independence, Thomson Locations: Las Vegas, Silicon Valley, U.S, Asia, Pacific, Japan, Singapore

☆ Yen steady, markets on intervention alert, Aussie up before RBA decision
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The yen nudged up on Tuesday but remained vulnerable to more weakness, hovering near the key 145 per dollar level as markets were on alert for signs of intervention, while the Australian dollar moved up ahead of a central bank policy decision. "This is sending signals that a coordinated intervention may be coming as yen continues to hover above 144 per dollar," said Charu Chanana, market strategist at Saxo Markets. "A coordinated intervention usually has a longer lasting impact on the yen than a unilateral intervention would have." The focus in Asian hours will be on the policy decision from the Reserve Bank of Australia, or RBA. The Australian dollar was at $0.668, up 0.16% against the U.S. dollar, while the New Zealand dollar was also up 0.16% at $0.616.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Masato Kanda, Janet Yellen, Charu, Kristina Clifton, CBA's Clifton Organizations: U.S, Treasury, Saxo Markets, Bank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, U.S . Federal, Reserve Bank of Australia, Reuters, Australian, U.S ., New Zealand Locations: Japan, U.S, United States, U.S .

☆ Factbox: Japan's toolkit to combat sharp yen declines
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

ESCALATE VERBAL INTERVENTION - HIGHLY LIKELYJapanese authorities began jawboning markets this week, describing recent yen falls as "sharp and one-sided". If the pace of yen declines accelerates, authorities may escalate their warnings to promise "decisive action" against speculative moves. Such remarks, aired prior to Japan's previous yen-buying intervention last year, would signal that Tokyo was edging closer to directly intervening in the currency market. This means the chance of intervention will rise if the yen's declines are rapid and viewed as driven mostly by speculative trading. BOJ RAISES INTEREST RATES - HIGHLY UNLIKELYThe Bank of Japan (BOJ) has vowed to keep interest rates ultra-low to support the economy, even as inflation exceeded its 2% target for more than a year.

Persons: Masato Kanda, Leika Kihara, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Bank of Japan, Authorities, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Tokyo, Asia, United States, Japan, U.S

☆ Asia pushes back on 'excessive' currency moves amid enduring dollar strength
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Japan finance officials have warned all this week against the "excessive" depreciation of the Japanese yen . Contrasting moves in the world's major currencies — including the Japanese yen, the Chinese yuan and the U.S. dollar — underscore the variance in domestic interest rates and monetary cycles. Authorities may be buying the Japanese yen "with the rise in USD/JPY set to run further," she added. The Japanese currency was hovering at about 144 against the greenback in Asia trade on Thursday. The central bank allows the currency to trade within a narrow band of 2% from each day's midpoint.

Persons: Sheldon Cooper, Carol Kong, Masato Kanda, Shunichi Suzuki, Philip Wee, Adnan Zaylani, BNM, Goldman Sachs Organizations: People's Bank of, Getty, U.S ., U.S, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Ministry, Bank of Japan's, Reuters, Finance, DBS, greenback, Japan's Finance, Bank Negara Malaysia, Central Bank Locations: People's Bank of China, Asia, Japan, China, Covid, Ukraine, Malaysian, U.S . Federal, Bank

REUTERS/Kim Kyung-HoonSINGAPORE/LONDON, June 28 (Reuters) - The yen was under pressure against most other major currencies on Wednesday, even as Japanese authorities said they could intervene to prop it up, while the Australian dollar dropped after data showed inflation eased in May. The U.S. dollar rose to 144.26 yen on Wednesday, a fresh seven-month high, while the euro climbed to a 15-year high of 157.98 yen. Meanwhile, the Australian dollar fell to a three-week low of $0.6618 after the local consumer price inflation rate slowed to a 13-month low in May. It was last down 0.78% at $0.6634, and the neighbouring New Zealand dollar fell 1.17% to $0.6090, its biggest daily fall in a month. A measure of core inflation in Australia also cooled, in a sign interest rates might not have to rise again in July.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Masato Kanda, Lee Hardman, Jerome Powell, Andrew Bailey, Christine Lagarde, Kazuo Ueda, Ankur Banerjee, Muralikumar Anantharaman, Jamie Freed, Emelia Organizations: National Printing Bureau, Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Hoon, U.S, MUFG, New Zealand, Traders, Bank's, U.S . Federal, Bank of England, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Hoon SINGAPORE, LONDON, Australia, Europe, U.S, Singapore

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