Japanese Yen Remains Under Pressure
The Japanese yen slumped around 158 per dollar on Thursday (9/1), near its lowest level in about six months. The local currency continues to face headwinds from a stronger dollar, supported by hawkish signals from the Federal Reserve and growing concerns over Trump’s tariff threats. Domestically, data showed that real wages in Japan fell 0.3% year-on-year in November, marking the fourth straight month of negative real wage growth. This has clouded the outlook for a potential interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan. Additionally, consumer sentiment in Japan weakened in December, further supporting dovish expectations for BOJ policy. Meanwhile, Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato reiterated earlier this week his warning against speculative and unilateral moves in the currency market, signaling the government’s willingness to intervene if excessive volatility persists.(AL)
Source: Trading Economics