Headline: USD/JPY Hovers Near 155 as Fed Cut Bets Rise and Tokyo Warns on Yen Weakness
The US dollar remains on the back foot as traders await a run of key US data, with expectations that the government shutdown risk will be resolved this week. Softer ADP employment figures earlier showed job losses late in October, briefly extending dollar weakness before a partial rebound. Even so, market pricing still implies roughly a 64% probability of a Federal Reserve rate cut in December, keeping the broader USD tone fragile across major currency pairs.
In Japan, the yen continues to weaken following the Bank of Japan’s latest decision to leave interest rates unchanged, despite two dissenting votes for a hike. Governor Ueda’s emphasis on spring wage negotiations suggests the next move may be pushed into early 2026. Verbal intervention from Japanese officials around the 155.00 handle underscores where authorities appear increasingly uncomfortable, signaling a potential line in the sand even as fundamental drivers for yen softness persist.
USD/JPY technicals remain constructive. On the daily chart, the pair is testing resistance near 154.80; a sustained break above this area could open the path to the 158.00 region. Failure to clear resistance keeps risks skewed toward a pullback, with 151.00 as notable support. On lower timeframes, an upward trendline on the 4-hour chart continues to guide the bull trend; pullbacks toward that dynamic support may attract dip buyers, while a decisive break below it would strengthen bearish momentum toward 151.00. Intraday, a minor uptrend line on the 1-hour view offers an additional gauge of near-term momentum.
Key Points: – USD stays soft as traders price a roughly 64% chance of a Fed rate cut in December. – ADP data showed late-October job losses, reinforcing the cautious USD tone. – BoJ kept rates unchanged; focus on wage talks suggests any hike may be delayed into early 2026. – Japanese officials signaled discomfort near 155.00 in USD/JPY, hinting at a line in the sand. – Daily resistance sits around 154.80; a breakout targets 158.00, while support stands near 151.00. – A 4-hour uptrend line remains key for bulls; a break lower could accelerate downside toward 151.00.
