USD/JPY overreacts to rate hike signal from BoJ?

A huge gap in USD/JPY has appeared to start the week after comments from Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda about a possible end to its negative interest rate policy (NIRP). In a Saturday Yomiuri newspaper interview, Governor Ueda mentioned that by the end of the year, the BOJ could accumulate enough data to assess whether the conditions are present to raise interest rates. Ueda comments follow a series of hawkish comments by BOJ officials in recent weeks amid inflationary pressures within Japan.

On Monday morning, USD/JPY retreated from its 10-month peak of 147.87. It traded down to 145.89, found resistance just below 147.00, before finding a home around 146.56.

Is the market overreacting to Ueda’s comments though? His talk of an exit doesn’t suggest any big changes to monetary policy this year at least, and moving from –0.10% to non-negative rate is symbolically important, but the BoJ (Bank of Japan) rate is still 5 percentage points behind the Fed’s. Knowing this, would you be surprised if the USD/JPY begins its assent again? US CPI (Consumer Price Index) data out this Wednesday could be a catalyst for the pair to target 147.00 again, depending on whether price pressures rise more than expected (currently the consensus is for a rise from the current 3.2% to 3.5%)