- AUD/JPY climbs nearly 1% to trade near 93.00 in late US session.
- Risk-on flows and easing trade tensions weigh on safe-haven Yen
- Key inflation data from Australia and Japan is eyed midweek.
The Australian Dollar (AUD) strengthens against the Japanese Yen (JPY), extending modest gains for the third consecutive day. At the time of writing, the AUD/JPY cross is pushing higher to trade near 93.00 during the late American sessions on Tuesday, up nearly 1% on the day.
The Aussie is drawing support from a marginally weak Japanese Yen amid a broad improvement in market sentiment, which has reduced the appeal of traditional safe-haven assets, such as the Yen. Investors welcomed signs of easing trade tensions between the United States (US) and the European Union (EU), following President Trump’s decision to delay proposed tariffs on EU goods.
Meanwhile, the Japanese Yen remains under pressure despite hawkish rhetoric from the Bank of Japan (BoJ). Domestic bond yields slipped after reports that the Ministry of Finance may scale back issuance of 20 and 40-year debt to ease upward pressure on long-term yields. The adjustment comes after a poorly received 20-year bond auction last week, which saw the weakest demand in over a decade. The news also triggered a broader dip in global yields, including US Treasuries, though the US Dollar regained some ground on improved risk sentiment, which compounded downward pressure on the Yen.
That said, market participants continue to weigh the prospects for the Bank of Japan’s policy normalization. On Tuesday, BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda reaffirmed the central bank’s readiness to “adjust the degree of monetary easing as needed” to ensure inflation targets are achieved. Governor Ueda also flagged upside risks to core inflation stemming from persistently high food prices, adding weight to speculation that the BoJ could move further along the path of policy normalization later this year.
Looking ahead, traders will focus on inflation data from both Australia and Japan, with Australia’s CPI due Wednesday and Japan’s national CPI on Thursday. The releases could influence rate expectations for both the RBA and BoJ, and may drive fresh volatility in AUD/JPY.
Economic Indicator
Consumer Price Index (YoY)
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on a quarterly basis, measures the changes in the price of a fixed basket of goods and services acquired by household consumers. The CPI is a key indicator to measure inflation and changes in purchasing trends. The YoY reading compares prices in the reference quarter to the same quarter a year earlier. A high reading is seen as bullish for the Australian Dollar (AUD), while a low reading is seen as bearish.
Read more.