What's Really Happening With The Japanese Yen?

Lior Alkalay - INO.com Contributor - Forex


The Japanese Yen is making headlines, again. The Dollar-Yen trade pierced through the 110 support level and the Bank of Japan's credibility is at stake. It's only a matter of time before the BoJ swings its "sword" and slice rates again, or at least, so it seems. But while Yen strength has caused quite a stir in Japan, its origins, this time around, are rooted elsewhere.

Wall Street is flat, European bourses are falling and China isn’t out of the woods just yet. Japanese corporates keep hoarding cash and, of course, they need to park it somewhere. That “somewhere” is their default choice; i.e. repatriate the cash and buy into the safety of Japanese Government Bonds.

Chart of the Japanese Yen
Chart courtesy of Bloomberg Press

As illustrated in the chart, when comparing the Bloomberg Japan Sovereign Bond Index with S&P500 and Nikkei 225, demand for Japanese Government Bonds has been strong. Japanese Government Bonds beat both the S&P500 and the Nikkei 225 for the passing year. And that’s even more interesting when you consider the negative yields—it actually costs to hold Japanese Government Bonds.

How long can Japanese corporates keep repatriating funds and pay for the "privilege" to hold Japanese Government Bonds? Continue reading "What's Really Happening With The Japanese Yen?"

Speculative Bets On The Aussie To Rise?

Lior Alkalay - INO.com Contributor - Forex


Ever since China's stock woes escalated it seems all commodity-related trades have sunk under water. The Aussie took a nose dive vs. the two dominant safe havens, i.e. the US Dollar and the Japanese Yen, and turned range bound vs. the Kiwi.

In the not too distant past, there had been some signs of a tentative recovery in the Aussie. However, those signs quickly became mixed messages, offering nothing but false hope. Simply put, China continued to lose its grip on its financial system. Now, as always, China has been the wild card for the Aussie. We've already elaborated on the fact that China can't keep the Yuan high; at best, it can only slow its depreciation. But can China's latest actions be the springboard for the Aussie to rally? Continue reading "Speculative Bets On The Aussie To Rise?"

Buy The Sterling On Brexit Fears

Lior Alkalay - INO.com Contributor - Forex


Unless you've been incommunicado this past week, you've surely noticed that the FX arena has been dominated by one trade. That, of course, is short Sterling, because Britain appears on the verge of leaving the European Union (EU).

The black swan event that brought about this situation was the surprise announcement by Boris Johnson, the incumbent Mayor of London. Johnson, a rising star of the Tories, is campaigning for Britain to leave the EU. That, of course, was a bit of a game changer. Investors got spooked by the thought of the financial Armageddon that could be visited upon Britain if a Brexit (British Exit) does occur.

Luckily, such panic creates an ideal situation for the rational investor. It's time to exploit and buy the Sterling low and sell it high later on when Brexit fears fade. Continue reading "Buy The Sterling On Brexit Fears"

Top Forex Pairs VS. Gold: Another One Bites The Dust

Aibek Burabayev - INO.com Contributor - Metals


A year ago I wrote a post to compare the top currencies dynamics against Gold inside of the year. Today I want to repeat the experiment to see which one could beat the safe haven and which one couldn't. This time, you will see a modified version of the chart where the inverse metal crosses show not Gold's (last year version), but the currencies' dynamics for easier eye perception.

To remind you of the short list, there are seven currencies compared: US dollar (USD) and 6 components of the US dollar index placed by weight: Euro (EUR), Japanese yen (JPY), British pound (GBP), Canadian dollar (CAD), Swedish krona (SEK) and the Swiss franc (CHF). Continue reading "Top Forex Pairs VS. Gold: Another One Bites The Dust"

USDJPY: Bullish On The Dips

Lior Alkalay - INO.com Contributor - Forex


From the Bank of Japan’s recent monetary statements, one might assume that Yen bears have hit a brick wall. The BoJ refrained from adding more stimulus and kept its ¥80 trillion annual bond purchases unchanged.

The BoJ’s reticence seems a disquieting throwback to the monetary policy of the Shirakawa days. Then, the BoJ was in a clear state of denial and refrained from making extra stimulus. Now, though it may seem history is repeating itself, this is not the case. Governor Kuroda is certainly no Shirakawa, and the Yen is not about to get stronger.

What Is The BoJ Really Doing?

At first blush, it just doesn’t add up. How can this be the same Haruhiko Kuroda? The man who announced ¥80 trillion in stimulus in a jaw dropping move suddenly and inexplicably turned passive. But, as the saying goes, appearances can be deceiving. In fact, the BoJ is really making a very calculated move. Continue reading "USDJPY: Bullish On The Dips"