It has been two years since Tokyo last intervened in currency markets. Is it time to let our guard down and look for positions above 160?
To prevent further depreciation of the yen below the 160 mark, Japanese officials have relied on verbal warnings.
Since their last intervention, however, they have refrained from using the phrase “bold action,” a signal widely interpreted as a final warning. Traders might want to set an alert for when this phrase is spoken by Japan’s FX chief.
One new strategy Japan is exploring is using oil futures as an alternative to direct intervention. This would keep the market guessing and deter speculative yen trading.
If Japan’s intervention in the oil futures market causes oil prices to fall, the country would spend less on oil imports. This would reduce the demand for USD to pay for oil, helping to prevent the yen from weakening further.
The Finance Ministry has reportedly contacted major banks in Tokyo with oil trading operations to assess the feasibility of intervening in crude oil futures. However, this could just be another verbal warning in a different form.
Para conocer la fecha y hora exactas de los principales acontecimientos económicos, importe el Calendario económico de BlackBull Markets para recibir alertas directamente en su bandeja de entrada de correo electrónico.
El trading implica riesgos y puede no ser adecuado para todos los inversores. La información proporcionada en este artículo tiene fines educativos únicamente y no constituye asesoramiento financiero. Realice siempre una investigación exhaustiva y busque asesoramiento profesional antes de tomar cualquier decisión de inversión.
