Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Yen slumps to 9-year low vs euro after BOJ maintains ultra-low rates

Yen slumps to 9-year low vs euro after BOJ maintains ultra-low rates

The Japanese yen fell to a nine-year low against the euro on Friday after the Bank of Japan left its ultra-easy monetary policy unchanged even as it scrapped a pledge to keep interest rates low, according to Reuters.
The euro briefly rose to its highest level against the yen since December 2014 at 149.50. It was last up 1 percent at 148.98 yen with expectations the European Central Bank will hike rates again next week also supporting the single currency.

The outcome of new BOJ Gov. Kazuo Ueda’s first policy meeting was closely watched. As expected, the BOJ said it would maintain ultra-low interest rates, and unanimously decided to make no changes to its yield curve control policy.

However, the central bank removed a pledge to keep interest rates at “current or lower levels” and said it would “conduct a broad-perspective review of monetary policy.”

That review is expected to last around one to one-and-a-half years and would lay the groundwork for Ueda to gradually phase out his predecessor’s massive stimulus program.

The yen fell sharply also against the US dollar, down 1.3 percent to 135.78, its lowest since March 10.

“The hopes of a policy change has been somewhat dampened by the review,” said Moh Siong Sim, a currency strategist at Bank of Singapore, adding that the likely length of the review might have cooled hopes of an imminent move in the policy setting.

“For now, the outcome is read as a dovish outcome.”

On Friday, however, government data showed core consumer prices in Japan’s capital, Tokyo, rose 3.5 percent in April from a year earlier, beating market forecasts in a sign of broadening inflationary pressure in the world’s third-largest economy.

“This puts pressure on the BOJ, they might do something in the near future,” said Tina Teng, market analyst at CMC Markets.

Elsewhere, the euro fell 0.4 percent to $1.10986, but remained near its recent one-year high, after German first quarter growth came in weaker than expected. Bloc-wide gross domestic product figures are due at 0900 GMT.

The common currency was eyeing a monthly gain of more than 1.3 percent buoyed by expectations that the ECB still has further to go in raising interest rates, analysts said.

The International Monetary Fund called on the ECB on Friday to keep raising interest rates until the middle of 2024 and on EU finance ministers to tighten fiscal policy, in concerted action to bring down high inflation.

“Investors favor currencies that can offer both an ongoing domestic tightening cycle and still some room for a hawkish surprise at the coming meetings,” said ING analysts.

“In that sense, the euro is one of the very few currencies that can offer this combination at the moment.”

In the wider currency market, the US dollar rose broadly on Friday, drawing support from data pointing to still-sticky inflation, which reinforced expectations for a 25-basis-point rate hike at next week’s FOMC meeting.

The US dollar index gained 0.5 percent to 101.93, rebounding from a near two-week low struck on Wednesday.

However, the index remained on track for a monthly loss of close to 0.8 percent, after having fallen about 2.3 percent in March.

Data released on Thursday showed that while US economic growth slowed more than expected in the first quarter, consumer spending, which was accompanied by a rise in inflation, accelerated.

“The Fed is widely expected to hike again next week but with inflation remaining sticky, we expect the Fed to stay on hold for the remainder of the year, dashing hopes of a policy pivot in (the second half),” said analysts at Societe Generale.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
×